Sunday, March 15, 2015

My thoughts on the Brook Run Theater - should we be thinking of tying it to a future Dunwoody City Hall?

Brook Run Theater (from long ago)

Question:

Mr. Heneghan,

Would you please comment about the Brook Run Theater feasibility project and whether or not you think this is something the council or you would support?

Answer: 

I know for a fact that Dunwoody could use a well-rounded community center or a facility which would include a theater, I am just not sure it would be wise in spending the money to have a consultant to tell me what I believe I already know. The real question for me is whether the Brook Run theater is worth attempting to save or would we be better served by starting from scratch? Before that question is even asked, we need determine if Brook Run is the correct place for this community center / theater and or is there a better location?

The City is exploring various ideas for a possible City Hall and I could image that if the community wanted to finance a City Hall / Community Center / Theater that we could, but I also know there are numerous dynamics involved depending on the location chosen. If we could find space in Dunwoody Village for such a facility it might draw more customers to the shops and restaurants and become an anchor for redevelopment but that could also be said of other parts of the city too. I believe a community center should be centrally located and we already have that with the Dunwoody Library / Spruill Center for the Arts and the Stage Door Players; unfortunately that location is bursting from the seams with everyone wanting more space. Maybe a feasibility study determining if the residents want a new Community Center / Theater / City Hall combination would be a better use of our money and then we could determine if such a facility might fit on that piece of ground or would it make more sense elsewhere?
 

I don’t have the answers but I enjoy being part of the public discussion.

http://jkheneghan.com/city/meetings/2015/Mar/03092015_BrookRun_Theater.pdf

1 comment:

David Andersen said...

A theater to seat as many people as Brook Run in Dunwoody Village? You must be kidding! Brook Run would be a wonderful location.