Takoma Theater is Falling Down, Owner Still Plans to Sue
Photo taken February 26th. Courtesy of Loretta Neumann.
UPDATE, 5:36 p.m. – Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs director Nick Majett emailed at 10:36 a.m. this morning to say that repairs would be made today, and a private contractor would be retained to fix the window.
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The Takoma Theater up on 4th and Butternut NW hasn't been looking good for a while now, but when windows start getting broken, you know you're in blight territory.
Last fall, the Theater was cited for several violations, including trash, graffiti, and unsecured vacant property that posed a hazard to human life. The city ordered owner Milton McGinty to fix the roof and do some painting to prevent the building from deteriorating further, but no fixes have occurred, and as of the end of February, it's now open to the elements.
Does that bother McGinty? Nope. He'd rather pay the series of $500 fines than make any fixes to a building he calls "useless." After threatening to do so since last summer, he's finally retained a lawyer and plans to appeal the Mayor's Agent decision that prevented him from razing the theater and building condos behind the historic facade.
"I told them that I am not going to do any painting because that's a waste of money," McGinty told Housing Complex this morning. "I have lost thousands and thousands on that building, and I'm not a fool."
The Takoma Theater Conservancy's Loretta Neumann is about at her wits end in trying to get the city to force McGinty to maintain his building–because meanwhile it doesn't look like anybody will be able to buy it anytime soon. Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B passed a resolution asking the city to kick in funding for the purchase and renovation (the Conservancy had requested $10 million)*, to which Housing Complex will just say: Good luck with that.
* Edited to reflect the fact that ANC 4B did not specify a dollar amount in its resolution.
9:01 am
The preservationists always play with other peoples' money - whether it's the owners they blackmail and shake down - or the taxpayers. Never their own.
9:04 am
This is a good summary of the current situation with the theatre. Would only add that last summer we offered to the owner to pay the property taxes or rent in exchange for the use of theatre for a mutually agreeble period of time. We also offered to make repairs on the building (fix the roof, paint, clean up the inside). At first he agreed, but then said no, he didn't want to deal with us.
That said, we still hope that a good solution can be negotiated that give him what he wants (money) and what we want (a restored theatre that is a public resource benefitting the entire community). To do this will require leadership from the city government as well as support from the private sector. We are working on both.
9:17 am
safe bet - it'll burn down within a few months.
9:28 am
The article is incorrect re "Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B passed a resolution asking the city to kick in $10 million for the purchase and renovation".
The resolution did **not** ask for a specific amount, nor ask the City to purchase and renovate. The resolution asks the City "...to take a leadership role in exploring options for development for this key property ..." and "...Cognizant of the profound sacrifices and funding delays that many programs and projects are experiencing during the District’s fiscal crisis, ANC 4B asks that the District of Columbia consider the capital budget requests for this purpose [as it becomes feasible to do so and] in respectful regard for funding priorities of the Executive Branch and the Council of the District of Columbia."...
The full text of the resolution may be found at:
http://www.takomatheatreconservancy.org under News&Studies.
9:47 am
The important thing is this: Save this building! It will preserve a piece of history, bring in jobs and help the community.....Isn't that important???
9:52 am
Tear down that place. it's an eye sore...
10:15 am
^It's an eyesore because of the owner. Sell the damn thing already, at market value, and go away.
10:36 am
It breaks my heart to say this, but I think you've got the story wrong. I love that old theatre and this is very very hard to say, but after extensive volunteering, research, and business strategy evaluation, I have to say there is not a viable market to keep the theatre around. Mr. McGinty can not be expected to spend his life savings on a property he can't sell, rent or make money on. If he kept the building in perfect shape there would still be no renters.
The auditorium is too large for anything except school dance recitals and police graduations. And the parking lot and back stage areas are too small. Mr. McGinty try to make it work for decades. Then he came up with a thoughtful plan to preserve the history and create metro accessible housing. Everything he has done has failed. He just wants a fair market price and to get out.
It would be crazy of him to keep pouring money into a building he can't recoup that money from and asking for it or being mad at him for not doing it seems cruel to me. He did his best.
It didn't work. And it didn't work because there is no business model.
Find any business person and ask them to run the numbers, even with a gut rehab there is no way to make a space that size and shape work given the location, parking, expected attendance rates, rental rates, etc.
If someone wants a charity-based community arts center they should stop complaining about Mr. McGinty and just go find funding for it and buy the building. He's love to sell it! But believe me if ANYONE could have found the money for that it's Mr. McGinty. He's looked under every rock to make this work. It's just no longer a viable building. His plan for apartments would be much better for the community.
10:53 am
I agree with Angela's assessment. In cases of financial distress or pure bogus economics, historic preservation should not trump human or personal preservation. Mr. McGinty owns this place and should be able to do what he needs to do to dig himself and this building out of a hole. I think preserving the facade and building condos behind it is a perfectly logical thing to do--and the right thing to do given the circumstances.
10:56 am
I understand Angela's points, but I have to disagree. For one, some theaters lack a market, others don't. This is one of the most intact neighborhood theaters in the region, and in DC, other than the Uptown. Unlike the Avalon, which is proving that a neighborhood theater can be successful, albeit it is community owned, this theater is 1.5 blocks from the Takoma Metro Station.
This size of a facility is actually pretty good, and there are dozens of examples across the country of theaters this sized, smaller, or larger, being quite successful.
The problem is the owner. For one, he claims that no one can run a theater at this location successfully, because he couldn't. But his claims to be good at running a theater or writing plays aren't independently tested and confirmed.
Second, the owner refuses to set a reasonable price for selling the property. He's run the building into the ground and therefore the building isn't valued highly, yet he has set a sales price of at least 2x what the building is worth.
So it's a self-fulfilling process of muck.
Angela claims the owner is skilled and able and has tried to make the theater work. In the 10 or so years that I have been aware of the theater, I find little evidence that this attestation is correct.
The city should make the repairs. It can by law. But there are tricky political issues. The city can't make him sell the property and sell it at a reasonable price.
Because of the economy, it's difficult for nonprofits to raise the kind of money necessary to restore the building and create the programs that people want to offer.
So it makes the process harder.
But it wouldn't be that much harder, if the building owner's active and vituperative negligence wasn't further damaging the value of the asset.
11:16 am
Poor financially-distressed guy seems to have money for architects and lawyers. but hiring some workers to keep the property from deterioration is a burden. And if he were interested in selling he'd find a way. People get out of properties they can't keep up with all the time; by setting a price that buyers will jump on, they don't make as much cash as they would like, but that's life. McGinty isn't special.
More and more, he's looking just like another Morty.
12:06 pm
This is an on going saga, I grew up around the corner, and went to the theater for movies, and still live in the community. This building has lots of potential, with the right ownership, and you would think the present owner would have availed himself to the resources available in the community, in public, and private partnerships, to turn Takoma Theater into something special. But alas it seems his world view in this matter, is limited to his vision, or nothing.The building is there and from the looks solid, are there innovative approaches to make this a viable theater or something else, yes, can this guy do it no. For a man complaining about how much money he is losing, selling the building at a real market rate would be a solution, the odds of him being able to take the building down, and build housing on the spot, don't look good. This is a great location and has a lot going for it, but not with this owner.
1:11 pm
Proximity to Metro aside, I question whether the theater is in "a great location," as the last poster claimed. for starters, there's little real commercial activity nearby -- none on the same block -- something essential for most small businesses to survive. And the adjoining block, while totally commercial, is fairly downtrodden, not at all like the trendy stuff a few blocks to the east in Takoma Park, MD. Add to that the fact that it's on the direct route from Coolidge HS to the metro (i.e., potential issues with students going and coming from school) and you have a less than desirable location, in my opinion. If it were even a building of real architectural merit, rather than just something that's old and non-descript, I'd be more inclined to support its preservation as a theater. It's worth noting, too, that the former Cinema Drafthouse right in the heart of wealthy Bethesda couldn't make a go it, so I'd be surprised that something like Takoma Theater would fare better.
2:18 pm
Well if he's paying the vacant property tax rate the city will end up owning it in a few years anyway. I say that he community get together and hold the tax lien on the property...
3:00 pm
What a bunch a sharks you Takomites are. Circling and waiting for the man to fail. Nice one Commish. Says a lot about your character.
This is his property. Not the City's. Not Neumann's. Not the Preservationists. He should be able to do what he pleases, once it's legal. But to hear you vultures wish ill on the man is just disturbing. Great community... of douches.
3:42 pm
eo mcmars -- the impact of students from Coolidge on the neighborhood is minimal and a nonissue--I say that as a resident living a couple blocks from Coolidge, and as someone who uses the Takoma subway station (although granted, I mostly bike).
And the issue isn't what the commercial district is now, but what it could be if the theater were once again alive and vibrant.
Portland has many neighborhood theaters. Of course, they are mostly owned by a particularly enlightened operator, the McMenamin Brothers. But other non-McMenamin theaters are still operative in that market.
Similarly, Grand Illusion theater in Seattle's U District should be used as a national model of what can be done in more places a lot more than it is.
- http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2003/0330/cover.html
Or two weekends ago, I saw a late night showing of Burlesque (I know...) at the Byrd Theatre, which is a key anchor, especially in terms of supporting the commercial district at night, for the Carytown district in Richmond, which is probably the most thriving traditional commercial district between Philadelphia and Richmond. It was awesome.
In fairness to Mr. McGinty, he owned and "actively" operated the theater when DC as a retail market was pretty terrible.
It's different now. But it's chicken and egg. The reason that the commercial district has declined there is because of how theaters were passed by as a primary source of entertainment in communities. If you really want to learn more about this I highly suggested reading retired UMD economist Doug Gomery's book _Shared pleasures: a history of movie presentation in the United States_, which I referenced in a presentation for the landmarking of the Newton Theater in Brookland.
It's hard for people in DC to realize because most of our commercial districts suck so bad, that properly run anchors with great visions and concepts and solid operating plans behind them can be incredible revitalization engines.
Sadly, Mr. McGinty typifies the outlook of a lot of the independent merchants in the city, and explains why it is so difficult to be successful fixing the city's various commercial districts.
Adrian Bent-me -- you're the real ass. Trying getting off it and working on fixing up your own community. When you do, and find that many property owners or business operators act just like Mr. McGinty and you have little recourse, I will be very interested to learn from you about your strategies and approaches to righting the evident problems.
3:55 pm
Let McGinty tear it down, it has NO historic significants at all!
4:47 pm
Layman- thanks for the solid advice. I'll go out and find something to protest about in my community because that makes a productive member of it. Blow me douche. You're criticizing the man because he has a plan to do something with HIS problem. The disrepair should be blamed on asses like you who find it in your infinite wisdom to argue with him because it might make a great place to host your 4th grader's play. You're the ones hurting the community, you fucking douche bag.
5:20 pm
"Have sympathy for him, you douchebags!" is not working too well...
7:17 pm
Fact is, theaters are in decline everywhere, thanks to cable TV and DVD players. Historic Preservation says, unfortunately, "preserve it, no matter the cost, no matter the changing marketplace, no matter that something truly useful could be built there, and no matter how grungy the original architecture is". Historic Preservation is nostalgia for the past run amuck. If the preservationists want to preserve it, let them buy it. If it were their money going into its maintenance, and their loss in being prevented from building something more valuable on the property, they might think again about whether it's worth preserving or not. But there's the real problem: it's somebody else's money they're wasting, just so they can feel nostalgic about the old structure as they drive past.
9:33 pm
I'm a professional fundraiser who contacted the Takoma Theater Conservancy to volunteer. I never got a response. If that's how they manage the effort to save the theater, how could they ever successfully run it.
I live in the neighborhood and think they should just get rid of it.
10:09 am
What a waste. Let the man tear the sucker down. There's not a business in a three block radius that's worth the effort of historic preservation. Takoma histo mobsters are forever living in a past that doesnt exist anymore.
11:47 am
They should have just torn down those old decrepit places like the Tivoli and the Atlas as well. There wasn't a business in a three block radius of either that was worth the effort of preservation.
11:59 am
Commenters do know that the building doesn't have to be used as a theater right? The building just has to be preserved. It could be used as housing, a brew pub, offices, whatever, as long as the building is preserved.
It couldn't be that the commenters hear don't know what they're talking about it? Could it?
McGinty should just sell it, not destroy it. No one is guaranteed a profit on their business ventures.
8:11 pm
I find this whole discussion fascinating, and am impressed that so many have written on both sides of the issue. Some with opinions, some with facts, some with a mix of both.
Fact is that the first thing the Takoma Theatre Conservancy did in 2007, with a DC grant, was to have a professional firm study the feasibility of the theatre being revived and what would best work in it.
According to all the measures - economic, demographic, geographic etc. - the analyses showed that as a multi-functional, community arts and educational center the theatre could be successful. Critical to this would be a non-profit organization that could garner the donations - public as well as private - to help revive it, while multiple uses (translating into rental income) would help sustain it.
Second fact, as I noted in my first posting,we have tried many times to reach out to the owner to find ways to work together so he could get what he wants (economic return) and we can get want we want (a preserved historic icon that is also a viable community resource). He has continued to reject any overtures, even those (such as our offer to pay his rent or taxes and to make repairs) that would give him, at least temporarily, the finances he claims to need to maintain it.
The third fact is that the majority of the people in our community - through their individual donations of money and time and through their neighborhood organizations and ANCs - support saving and reviving the theatre for community use. Many, many experts have testified as to its historical value.The city has concurred and determined, under DC law, that it is worthy of preserving.
And so it goes. At least finally, after a week of our pleading, the DCRA got the windows boarded up. Anyone who owns a home or other property in DC has a responsibility to maintain it. At a minimum, the owner of the historic Takoma Theatre should be held to the same legal duties of care as we are.
8:56 pm
Thank you for sharing this blog.
9:27 am
Bob See points to the Tivoli and Atlas as examples, but doesn't understand that those structures are not in an Histrionic Preserve, which is exactly why their neighborhoods were revitalized.
Preservationist seem to think that covering a broken windows is progress and that's exactly the reason there will never be real progress.
11:49 am
City Boy, Takoma isn't blighted and doesn't need "revitalization" to the degree places like Columbia Heights did. 4th St could stand some improvement and this vacant building isn't exactly helping.
As to your smug assertion that a broken window being repaired is "progress", you apparently fail to grasp that a vacant building going downhill is a source of blight, and it remaining unrepaired simply attracts more vandalism. And here's another clue for you: no one wants that happening in their neighborhood, historic or not.
6:11 am
City Boy -- your analysis is pretty limited with regard to the success of both Columbia Heights/H Street and the Tivoli/Atlas respectively. Both of the theaters are historically designated: http://www.dcpreservation.org/pdf/HistoricSitesInventory2009.pdf
Both areas have received tens of millions of dollars of public investment, planning studies, etc. More public investment went into Columbia Heights and intensification of land development there than compared to H Street. On the other hand, H Street is getting $30+ million in streetscape renovations, plus a streetcar system worth between $50 and $100 million (just the public investment portion). Additionally, I argue that much of the resident attraction to the area north of H Street has been driven by the creation of the infill New York Ave. metro station, which cost about $120 million, but 1/3 of the money was federal.
I don't know all the details of the Tivoli deal, but millions of dollars of city money was provided to the overall development, which included restoration of a portion of the theater. Likely federal historic tax credits were used as part of the funding stream.
I do know about the Atlas. It received $4.5 million in historic tax credit funding, or between 15% to 20% of its total funding. Additionally, the bank that did the deal liked the deal so much that they gave the Atlas $1 million towards the restoration.
I do know that what is driving improvement in the H Street neighborhood is the attractiveness and availability of historic building stock, especially in terms of the residential part of the neighborhood. But you're right that this neighborhood isn't designated as a historic district at the present time. Mostly it was built between 1880 and 1920 and is therefore eligible. Most of the stuff built more recently was constructed on blocks/sites that had been destroyed during the riots.
9:31 am
Bob See- Douchebag Takomites seems appropriate given the issue. I'm open for whatever moniker you would deem fit for me.
I intensely dislike it when other people put their hands into something that's not theirs. Just because a structure was built decades accord in a part of City that now in the capital of DC Metro Yuppieville, doesn't not mean that it's a sacred shrine. It's a property and it's owned by someone who doesn't not share the same vision as others. But it's his property, not yours, not the communities. The US Const. protects private property. There is something called eminent domain that can be exercised in extraordinary cases. But obviously that's not going to happen because the City isn't going to cave to a bunch of self-righteous pricks. So go ahead and do all of the stupid feasibility assessments that you all would like. It wouldn't change the fact that it's not your property- it's his, you douchebags.
12:58 pm
^^Tough. Take it up with the NPS.
5:58 pm
Well, it is always funny when folks have all these great ideas and plans for other people’s property and other people’s money. I have been involved in community redevelopment in this city for over a decade and I am not big fan of Mr. McGinty. I also agree that given the recent residential development, that neighborhood could take off again with a couple more destination businesses. But for all those that believe that the Takoma could be a catalytic force in that block and neighborhood, the answer is simple. Line up some deep pockets that share your vision and buy the property or make McGinty a partnership offer that he cannot refuse. Put your own skin in the game…real skin. See…paying taxes and for some repairs is a nice gesture. But if I owned the property, I would not take it either. Because if I took that aid, I would have to allow you some input (for very little investment on your part). Bottom Line: If you think McGinty is in the way, pay him to get out of the way. Otherwise, you are just blowing hot air.
9:04 am
Nicely said michaeliceman.
Neumann has the world of advice to offer and has even sanctioned studies to reaffirm her position, yet she doesn't really have a legitimate position. She's an annoying activist who thinks she knows what's best for everyone.
But if any of these community preservationist douches were on the opposite side of it and were instead the owners of property that the City or developers had wanted to tear down and build luxury condos, they wouldn't be happy. They are fucking hypocrites. Like michaeliceman says, put some of your own skin in the game and then you'll be taken seriously- douchebag takomites.
11:37 pm
blah, blah, blah, what is the problem with having housing in the theater. The real problem is Mr. McGinty's age. He does not have a lot of energy and his son is busy. If they really wanted to they could make great condos in the theater and along side it in the parking lot and also have a nice restaurant and even a small theater.