01-26-2010, 06:31 AM
The Friends after making the decision to abandon the original plan for the theatre solicited and conducted interviews and ultimately made the recommendation to the aldermen to hire SMG. The council acted solely on that recommendation.
And since indeed the theatre has always been owned by the City of Waukegan, every expenditure for the Genesee restoration was approved by council.
Quite honestly, regardless of how much was spent on the Genesee, it is still the only thing in Waukegan that draws anything that resembles a crowd to our city. You can rightly debate whether or not the Genesee should have been restored and question the cost but it is arguably the only thing that regularly puts Waukegan on the map these days.
Thus the question what does the renaissance committee do? Other than events at the Genesee, and a smattering of locally promoted events hosted by various organizations (none by the renaissance committee), what or who attracts those whith capital to invest in our town? Again, I only ask the question because the renaissance committee has been meeting for years with virtually zero to show for it.
And I very well might be mistaken. There may be a mountain of facts and figures that show that the renaissance committee has been really doing something.
And since indeed the theatre has always been owned by the City of Waukegan, every expenditure for the Genesee restoration was approved by council.
Quite honestly, regardless of how much was spent on the Genesee, it is still the only thing in Waukegan that draws anything that resembles a crowd to our city. You can rightly debate whether or not the Genesee should have been restored and question the cost but it is arguably the only thing that regularly puts Waukegan on the map these days.
Thus the question what does the renaissance committee do? Other than events at the Genesee, and a smattering of locally promoted events hosted by various organizations (none by the renaissance committee), what or who attracts those whith capital to invest in our town? Again, I only ask the question because the renaissance committee has been meeting for years with virtually zero to show for it.
And I very well might be mistaken. There may be a mountain of facts and figures that show that the renaissance committee has been really doing something.