WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. February 28, 2006: The Friends of the Nyacks is spearheading an effort to find a primary tenant with heavy assets, or a cash-rich cadre of benefactors and investors, or an academic or area institution to pay the rent on the old Helen Hayes Theater, itself a Nyack “destination,” to keep the doyenne of Main Street performing, instead of going dark forever.
Milbrook Acquisitions affirmed its intention to the Mayor of Nyack, John Shields, and Debra Darbone, Chair of The Friends of the Nyacks that Milbrook had no intention of selling the property last Friday afternoon, but the organization (which holds properties as a business), were still willing to rent the premises for theater use. Darbone reports an agreement was reached where the organization and the arts community have until March 26, 30 more days, to submit proposals to Milbrook, and the Helen Hayes Theatre Company Board of Directors. It is unclear what role the Board of Directors which plans resigning, would have in evaluating those proposals, if any.
Last Friday afternoon, Debra Darbone, Chair of Friends of the Nyacks, a community organization, said she participated in a meeting with Mayor John Shields of Nyack, Gary Kahn, Thomas Adams, and Thomas Lipuma, representatives of Milbrook Acquisitions, and Robert Gunderson, Nyack civic leader on the theater situation.
Milbrook Acquisitions, the subsidiary of Milbrook Properties, is in line to purchase the theater building for $3.7 Million from the Helen Hayes Theatre Company. The meeting produced an agreement where Friends of the Nyacks would facilitate the collection and submission of proposals and that they would have a 30-day extension on their efforts to find an angel for the theater.
Darbone, interviewed by WPCNR, told this reporter today that the rental figure of $18,000 a month stated by Gary Kahn of Milbrook, at the public forum on the theater sale held February 15, appeared still in effect, but allowed that negotiations for any lease of the space would depend on the proposal (s) finally selected.
Darbone said the Friends of Nyacks website has guidelines for submitting proposals to rent and manage the theater on its website, and would be the conduit for submitting proposals to Milbrook and the Helen Hayes Theater Company Board of Directors. The website is at www.friendsofthenyacks.org. She said that it was not clear what role the present Helen Hayes Board of Directors would have in reviewing the proposals submitted. For any questions about submitting a proposal, Friends of the Nyacks may be reached at (845) 358-4973.
Darbone said Milbrook had no plans to sell the assets of the theatre building, and that the only equipment sold was "some copying equipment."
O'Donnells out of the running.
Jo Baer, another community resident close to the theater situation, who is among a number of community members who have written the attorney general asking for a review, told WPCNR that it appeared that once the Attorney General office approves a contract and a judge approves it that it is unlikely the approval of the impending Helen Hayes sale will be withdrawn.
Baer told WPCNR, the Attorney General’s office has acknowledged her letter of concern, but has not told her whether or not the matter is still under review. Baer thought that withdrawal of the approval could only occur if evidence of fraud were to service. She told WPCNR it was her opinion that there was something wrong with the 501c3 organization regulations that a non-profit would be allowed to sell their assets without making those assets available to the general public.
Baer told WPCNR that Rosie and Kellie O'Donnell who had originally offered to purchase the theater for $5 Million February 15, are not interested in renting the theater. She added that Milbrook was not allowing persons inside to view the theater.
