Fire District Extends Odeum Tax Abatement to Their Dec. 15th Meeting

An application to the Champlin Foundations for a $140,000 grant holds the key to the time frame for getting the Greenwich Odeum back into operation. The foundation has made a site visit and will announce grants in November.

The nonprofit Odeum was forced to close after stringent new fire regulations were imposed following the Station nightclub fire in 2003.  After the theater sat vacant and inactive for several years, the town assessor put it back on the tax rolls in 2009. The Town Council and Fire District later agreed to hold up on collections while the Odeum Board worked to get the theater back in operation as a nonprofit entity again.

Taking note of the Town Council extension to Dec. 12, the Fire District, at their Thursday night meeting, voted a similar extension, using Dec. 15 to coincide with their regular meeting date.

If the Champlin grant doesn’t come through, Fire District members say they will have to see what might be presented as the next step.   Board President Frank Prosnitz says if they don’t receive the grant it doesn’t mean the project is done and the board will present additional fundraising plans to the Fire District and Town Council.

During the meeting on Thursday, Fire Commission Chairman Doug Axelsen told Prosnitz he was concerned there was still no final approval of a plan for the building. After the meeting Prosnitz told reporters Odeum architect Chris Henderson was very pleased with the cooperation and conversation that has taken place with the Fire Marshall. 

Mark Gee, who serves on both the Town Council and the Fire Commission, had been critical of the fundraising efforts to date and commitment of the board members at the .

He went further at the Fire District meeting, saying that while he appreciated the effort of the Odeum’s volunteer board, he did not have confidence that as constituted they have the ability to get the job done. 

“What happens when the theater opens? Who runs it and manages the operations?” he said. “After the performance of the board over the last two years I don’t have confidence in them moving forward."

Prosnitz responded that he had confidence the board will be able to complete the project. Earlier in his presentation he told the commissioners the Odeum board was dedicated to getting the theater open because for 13 years it had been a premier performing arts center and a boon to Main Street. He said they wanted to revive what had been a very valuable piece of the community.

Gee was the only no vote on extending the deadline to Dec. 15.