Chilliwack City Council gave the group trying to save the Paramount theatre 90 days to come up with a sustainable plan, and those 90 days are nearly up. The Chilliwack Paramount Film Society will deliver their presentation on Tuesday. Kim Mallory with the group says she’s confident that council will give this some strong consideration.
“We’re working our butts off, trying to prove to the city that this is a good thing for the revitalization of downtown and it’s a good thing for the community. It’s bringing people together and people are willing to work for this.”
She says their “save a seat” program, which encourages people to pledge to buy one of the 600 seats in a renovated theatre, has been humming along nicely. They’ve also had pledges for services in kind.
“We have people coming forward every day offering their contracting services like electrical, audio and signage….people are really pulling together for this.”
The plan is to convert it into a one-screen, volunteer run theatre and show old films, art films, and hold festivals. So far they have over $18,000 in cash pledges and a ton more in services in kind. You can save a seat by going to the Cornerstone Gallery or download a form at:
http://www.friendsofthechilliwackparamount.com/
UPDATE: Because this is a Request for Proposal process, the group will not be allowed to present their plan publicly to council. It will have to be submitted for consideration, like any other proposal.