Nineteen years is a long time to wait. For John Apple, that’s how long he’s been trying to restore the Carolina Theater, an uptown landmark from 1927 that closed in 1978. The Spanish Renaissance-influenced structure, with its magnificent chandeliers and vibrant colors, once hosted Elvis, Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn and many film premieres. Apple’s wait is far from over, although a promising step has been taken.
In early January, the city sold the Carolina Theater and the space behind it to Camden Management Partners for a bargain rate of $1 million. President of the Carolina Theater Preservation Society Charlie Clayton found Camden when city council told him an outside developer would be necessary for the majority of the financing.
Camden plans to dive into the uptown condo rush, funneling a percentage of the profit into the theater restoration. Meanwhile, the Society has set a goal to raise $5 million ($2 million for the restoration, $3 million for the endowment) in a nine-year period.
Apple first began battling to save the theater in 1987 and co-founded the Society in 1997. The organization has saved it from the wrecking ball more than once. “Without us, I am fairly certain it wouldn’t be here anymore,” says Clayton.
As in most cities, budgets are stretched thin by more immediate needs like school and police funding. But what makes little sense to Clayton is that while it has been sitting dormant, the valuable Tryon Street property has been generating no tax money for the city, revenue that by now could have been used to fund the theater’s restoration.
The theater could provide Charlotte with a 1,200-seat venue that could fill a need by hosting concerts, touring theatrical groups and even film festivals, all in the center of uptown.
Currently, the Society is searching for a fund-raising expert to direct the effort, and the group hopes to create a few full-time, paid positions that would be necessary to reach the $5 million goal.
To Clayton, the latest chapter in the theater saga is the most promising. “It doesn’t matter if it takes $10 million or $100 million. Camden guaranteed the theater will be restored.”
This article appears in Feb 1-7, 2006.
