Vote Yes on 5 - A Letter from Chamber President Matt Cunningham Westerly needs to take advantage of its unique opportunities in the arts and culture industry. Thanks to the recent reopening of our storied United Theatre and hard-working community organizations like the Chorus of Westerly, our town has evolved into an attractive destination for arts-loving Rhode Islanders. Our downtown streets, shops and restaurants have been abuzz with couples and families who came to the tip of the state just to enjoy a Westerly Saturday night. But we can do even better. Tomorrow, Rhode Islanders will have the opportunity to invest in the arts – to take an already-invaluable economic resource to our town and give it the support it needs to grow. Voting Yes on Question 5 will support a $35 million bond referendum that would help fund renovation and restoration projects at arts facilities across the state, and support State Preservation Grants. In Westerly, this would mean millions of dollars to support exciting projects at the United Theatre and the Chorus of Westerly. It would mean these Westerly organizations could create more than a dozen great, well-paying jobs, and it would create much-needed jobs for thousands more construction workers across the state. One of the projects supported by Question 5 would turn the 88-year-old United Theatre into a multi-purpose performing arts center, featuring a storefront theater for intimate concerts, cinema or business meetings and a 158-seat cinema that would finally allow Westerly residents to see a movie without leaving town. The theater, which currently stages an occasional concert or performance, could potentially showcase movie releases, private screenings, live concerts, community gatherings, mainstream films, local festival projects and countless other attractions every weekend of the year. Historically, the arts industry has been one of Westerly’s most marketable assets. After opening in 1926, the United Theatre and its nationally renowned vaudeville shows and concerts wooed paying customers into Westerly’s shops and restaurants for more than 60 years. The theatre, like so many others across the country, was forced to shut its doors in 1986. But its immediate success after reopening earlier this year shows the town’s cultural tastes never subsided. In July, the United even brought vaudeville into the 21st century! We urge RI residents to vote Yes on Question 5 on November 4. The investment will increase Westerly’s annual economic activity by more than $600,000, and it would create dozens, maybe hundreds, of jobs for our friends, neighbors and family members. Plus, along the way, it would put our town at the forefront of the regional arts economy. This is an economic opportunity we cannot afford to miss. Sincerely, Matthew J. Cunningham President Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:32:17 +0000
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