09-16-2010, 10:34 PM
Nice idea, perhaps, but unfortunately for us we have to book talent in a 24 million dollar theater with a 9 million dollar parking garage to serve the theater and even if the theater is full on the inadequate amount of shows that we currently book we can't scratch up the juice. The venues you mention are an outdoor theater and a couple of converted movie theaters, not much money invested their. Just look at our haphazard downtown! Everything about it says 'who allowed this mess to happen? Yes, Jam Productions is a highly successful management/booking agent, but I believe our city has inquired as to their services in the past and they probably wanted too much money and in the end it would have all worked out the same. Think about it, then take a good look at this community and its downtown and lakefront, if we really had something special here developers would have been tripping all over themselves to get in on the action. Upscale development goes where the money is. We are 100 feet above our lakefront and that is a topograhical fact, our local 'experts' believed that they could somehow connect the two. Also, being a poor community, with many profound social challenges, we are not an acceptable investment risk. If you have any credit, or the personal financial wherewithal, why don't you invest your heart and soul and MONEY in Waukegan? As you have read, I am not a very good writer and just came back from an evening at the Greentown Tavern when I read your post. God bless Bob, the owner, whatever his last name is. We don't have many choices in Waukegan, but the Greentown would be a success anywhere.