Future of Performing Arts Center to be decided in 2027, after city elections

This article has been updated with additional information and comment.

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The City Council voted Thursday to defer a proposed interlocal agreement for the city to back an ACT Authority loan to pay for construction of the Performing Arts Center. The proposal will be deferred until February 2027, which will fall after the city elections and the swearing-in of a new mayor and new council.

Last week, ACT Executive Director Cameron O’Hanlon addressed the City Council about the proposed interlocal agreement, as well as the current conditions of the Roxy Regional Theatre. Several council members asked questions about the interlocal agreement and what it entails.

| PREVIOUSLY: Clarksville City Council to decide future of Performing Arts Center next week

If the agreement is not approved, the Performing Arts Center project will not move forward, and the dilapidated Roxy building will revert back under the City of Clarksville’s ownership with no future plans for use.

Streetman: majority of people want to see pledges established before cosigning

Councilwoman Stacey Streetman is who introduced the deferral for Feb. 2027.

Streetman said she heard from a large number of community members who are in favor of the Performing Arts Center project; however, she’s also spent a lot of time speaking with those who feel prior to the City Council cosigning into this agreement, pledges should be established beforehand.

“I have the upmost respect for the Roxy, Emily Ruck, and the ACT Authority,” she said. “But the overwhelming majority of people I’ve spoken with have talked about wanting to see pledges in advance of us moving forward and signing on the dotted line. While yes, it would be sales tax, sales tax helps offset the financial burden on the shoulders of our property tax.”

Streetman said she also believes the vote on the future of the Performing Arts Center should be held off until after city elections.

Follow up questions for ACT Authority director

Councilman Eric Claunch asked O’Hanlon to the lectern to ask him a series of questions, which began with how much the City of Clarksville paid for the Roxy Regional Theater.

O’Hanlon said he believes the city paid $800,000 in 2022, and the interlocal agreement currently being proposed stipulates that the ACT Authority repay the city for their investment.

“The expectation would be that the ACT Authority, as part of the estimated $5 million that the city has invested into this project so far, that the ACT Authority would be paying that back to the city,” he said.

Claunch then asked about the limitations of private citizens requesting information from the ACT Authority. O’Hanlon said the question has come up about how they can make sure the City of Clarksville has the mechanisms in place to be able to hold the ACT Authority accountable throughout this process, as well as into the future.

“While the ACT Authority is its own, independent nonprofit organization, we still have these ties via the hotel-motel taxes, via the board appointments,” he said. “It’s something I very much value … it’s being mentioned that my bylaws for the ACT Authority leave an open question to the transparency that we’re required to provide, so I’d be more than happy to add an amendment to this interlocal agreement that would require that full transparency with the city.”

Best care scenario, price of materials is the biggest concern

When asked about the best-case scenario for the proposal’s outcome, O’Hanlon asked for the City Council to just defer the decision until next month. “We have a few ideas that could help secure the city even further in its action we’re asking it to take. So, I’d like to postpone, not until February, but until the next meeting in November.

“I just want to give us every opportunity to appease any of your concerns, address any of those concerns,” O’Hanlon said. “While still maintaining our current timeline and price, because the circumstances in our world would make this project incrementally more challenging. And it drastically increases the likelihood that we would have to come to the city for additional support. I don’t know want to do that; I know this body doesn’t want to do that; the citizens of this city do not want that. We want to see this thing stand on its own two feet.”

O’Hanlon said if the project were to be deferred until February 2027, what worries him most is the price of materials, specifically for steel and copper, and the interest rates associated with the materials come Jan. 1. “By my estimates, we’d be looking at a $6 million a year debt service if we were to wait until February.”

Deferral until next month failed 5-7. The vote to defer until February was approved 9-3.

Voting for the February 2027 deferral were council members Claunch, Carlos Peters, Ambar Marquis, Wanda Smith, Travis Holleman, Jerry Haywood, Jimmy Brown, Streetman and Joe Shakeenab. No votes included Brian Zacharias, Keri Lovato and Mayor Joe Pitts. Tim Chandler was absent.

O’Hanlon: ‘We will not be deterred’

After the meeting, O’Hanlon told Clarksville Now, “While I’m disappointed our city leaders have chosen to defer this decision to when their successors are in place, we will not be deterred.

“This project now falls on the shoulders of the philanthropic and community leaders in Clarksville to stand up and move forward boldly to deliver this project for Clarksville. This community wants this center, needs this center, deserves this center, and will get this center,” he said.

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