Peekskill seeks new management for Paramount Center for the Arts

Thursday December 13, 2012 4:30 PM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: Chris Serico | The exterior of the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill. (Jan. 18, 2012)

Good news for fans of the Paramount Center for the Arts: Peekskill is in the process of seeking new leadership for the historic venue.

The Westchester city issued a press release Thursday announcing plans to find new leadership to take over the theater, and is currently accepting proposals for its lease, management and operation.  

“There has been significant interest from both for-profit and not-for-profit entities as the City works to identify the right operator for the Paramount Theater in 2013 and beyond,” Peekskill Mayor Mary F. Foster said in the statement.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Dec. 19. Those whose proposals are selected for consideration will be asked to give presentations on Jan. 7, and the selection will be made a week later on Jan. 14.

In November, the Paramount's board of trustees filed plans to dissolve the nonprofit organization, with the hope of finding new management for the historic Peekskill theater, according to a statement issued this afternoon by the board's legal counsel.

The theater has been dark since it suspended operations Oct. 4, less than three weeks after its Sept. 15 red-carpet gala, which tried to raise $300,000 for the cash-strapped venue, and exactly one month after the Sept. 4 reopening of The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.

Earlier this fall, members of the Tarrytown Music Hall staff had expressed interest in helping the Paramount resume operations.

The board blamed the Paramount's suspended operations on “an overall decline in the economy, a precipitous drop in private, government and grant donations and increased expenses,” according to the law firm.

"The board of trustees and the dedicated staff did everything humanly possible to keep the marquee lit and the theater operational amid immense financial challenges,” Vincent C. Vesce, the Paramount board president, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Who would you like to see take over the Paramount Center for the Arts? And when do you think the Paramount will reopen, if at all? Vote in the poll below and let us know what you miss most about the Paramount in the comments. 

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