Big announcement today from Stephen Funtig’s office, as reported by Dave Battegello of the Windsor Star:
The bankruptcy trustee for the shuttered Capitol Theatre says he is opening the doors and will entertain bids for performances despite his ugly legal fight with the city over the downtown landmark.
“Whether the city and estate have a disagreement, the right thing for the community is for the Capitol to be open,” said trustee Stephen Funtig, who represents the theatre’s creditors.
He expects it will take at least a month before the first performance can hit the stage, but says the theatre remains in good condition and ready for business.
“People can get in their proposals and we’ll see how quickly we can put a show in,” Funtig said. “The risk is theirs for whoever is putting a show on, but at least it will get the Capitol back open.”
Deb Stanson, president of the recently appointed theatre board, was stunned Thursday to hear the trustee’s news that the theatre doors could again soon be open.
“It’s a wonderful Christmas present,” she said. “I will need to understand more. I’m totally sideswiped as this is coming out of nowhere.
“But to have the doors open is terrific idea, even with uncertainty of ownership.”
The bankrupt theatre closed its doors in March. The city maintains it should own the historic landmark because the $1.8 million it provided the theatre in the mid-1990s was a mortgage.
“We are just trying to protect the taxpayers’ investment,” said Mayor Eddie Francis on Thursday.
But Funtig has disputed that claim on behalf of the theatre’s creditors. He has appealed to bankruptcy court to dismiss the city’s claim to the building, claiming the city’s money wasn’t a valid mortgage but a grant.
A Superior Court hearing earlier this month to decide the theatre’s fate was adjourned until Jan. 10 by Justice Richard Gates to give lawyers more time to gather evidence.
Funtig pointed the finger of blame for the theatre’s ongoing closure at the city. He claimed to have been granted one license by the city in the summer so Les Miserables could be staged and has since been denied any others.
“The city was not prepared to grant any more hall licenses, so we couldn’t have any more shows because the city was not letting us.”
“The city is now letting us, so we take that as great news.”
But the trustee’s claim angered Francis, who countered the theatre has remained closed because it was deemed to have been a fire hazard after inspectors learned sprinklers were not operating during the Les Miserables performances.
“They were told they could not have more shows until the deficiency was corrected,” the mayor said. “That’s why there hasn’t been any other shows. You can’t have shows in a theatre if it’s a fire trap.
“(Funtig) is in control of the theatre. He was told once that was corrected he could have as many shows as he wanted.
“Our position is that it should be open. As long as it complies with fire and safety codes, he has always had the opportunity to open it back up.”
