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Unless it received some kind of financial support, the center would have had to close by the second week of January, said Kevin Boyer, interim executive director.
“The Washington Center would go dark,” he said.
The city owns the theater at 512 Washington St. S.E. downtown, and the center’s board of directors oversees it with seven full-time staff and 13 part-timers. Its money comes not just from ticket sales and fees, but from donors and sponsors, from renting the center and from governments and its endowment.
Councilman Stephen Buxbaum proposed giving the center more of its lodging tax earnings up front to tide the center over until a new business plan could be written to stabilize the center. He said he was concerned the city was rushing the decision at the end of the process for its 2012 budget.
But Mayor Doug Mah said that would just delay the problem and that the center needs to tap its endowment now.
“It doesn’t solve the problem soon enough,” he said.
It’s the second time in recent years that the center has tapped its endowment. In 2010, the council allowed the center management to use $100,000 from the endowment for center operations.
Center operators blame poor ticket sales and other revenue sources. They hope to turn things around by focusing more on renting the facility for community events. The center board has reorganized to include committees overseeing finance, development and community outreach to strengthen the center’s finances.
It’s the latest event in a tumultuous year at the center. Earlier this year, Executive Director Tom Iovanne announced he would leave the center, where he had worked since 1989. He didn’t have another job lined up.
To make matters worse, the exterior of the theater is crumbling and water is leaking – which will stick the city with an estimated $3.4 million repair bill. The council voted in October to fix the building, which it is responsible for, but hasn’t determined how to pay for it except for finding $350,000 for design.
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
