Capital City Productions officials are worried the local dinner theater's legacy will come to an end if the Jefferson City Housing Authority continues its expedited timeline to sell the Shikles Recreation Center.
CCP officials asked the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to slow down selling the property at 1200 Linden Drive. The Housing Authority has discussed selling the Shikles Recreation Center in closed session, as they have "no use for the building," board Chairman Larry Vincent said.
The Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department leases the Shikles Recreation Center from the Housing Authority, and CCP subleases the building from the Parks department.
A CCP representative, the Housing Authority and Parks department discussed options and alternatives Tuesday afternoon and plan to present them to the Board of Commissioners in September, CCP founder Rob Crouse said. Since he was not at that meeting, Crouse told the News Tribune, he did not know what those options were yet.
The Housing Authority was approached by an interested buyer, Vincent said, but he did not provide a name.
Even though it hosts several productions annually in the Shikles Recreation Center, Crouse said, the dinner theater was "blindsided" because the Housing Authority did not tell CCP it was considering selling the building.
"With just finding out about this, we have had no time to try to figure out an alternative plan," Crouse said. "If we have to vacate the building, because we've invested our resources, this community asset will no longer exist because we cannot operate in an expedited method."
CCP learned of the sale after a surveyor came to the building and a Housing Authority tenant said the building potentially would be sold, he said.
Housing Authority Executive Director Cynthia Quetsch confirmed the authority had not spoken to CCP representatives about the potential sale.
"Until a final decision was made to put the property on the market, there was no need to have discussion," she said.
Quetsch noted the Parks department "was aware that we were contemplating selling the building."
The Housing Authority originally asked the Parks department if it was interested in acquiring the Shikles Recreation Center since it leases the building directly from the authority, Vincent said, but the Parks department rejected the idea.
Crouse said the Parks and Recreation commissioners he spoke to were unaware of the potential sale.
CCP moved to the Shikles Recreation Center in 2007 and has spent several thousands of dollars in improvements and renovations over the last 11 years, Crouse said. Improvements have included upgrading all of the electrical, tuck-pointing, fixing uneven sidewalks, and installing hardwood floors and carpeting on the main level.
"Nothing has ever been said to us except what a wonderful asset we are and that this would be a home for us for as long as we wanted and could pay the rent," Crouse said. "That is why we were willing to make the personal investments of money over the past 11 years necessary to do upkeep to the building. We had no reason to believe it would not always be our home."
The commissioners were unaware of the improvements CCP has made, Vincent said.
Crouse said he hopes a meeting between the three entities could "lead to a viable solution to benefit all of us."
"This is not a building to us - this is our home," he said. "We are a family, and we would appreciate your consideration of trying to work with us to make sure this dream that's such a huge asset to the community does not die."
The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners said they were willing to work with CCP.
The dinner theater has grown significantly since it was founded in 1991 under the original name Capital City Players.
CCP has hosted more than 58,000 volunteers, cast members and audience members over the last two years, Crouse said. Its season ticket holders have grown from about 75 individuals to more than 280 in two years, he added, with CCP expecting more than 400 season ticket holders for its 2019 season.
The dinner theater recently showcased "Newsies the Musical" and "Shrek the Musical," with both performances selling out. CCP is scheduled to put on "Cabaret" from Oct. 11-27 and "Sinatra - Christmas My Way" from Dec. 6-22.