Imagine the impacts of the State Theatre six years from now

The State Theatre is a symbol of our past and our future.

One of the real charms of Camelot is the determination of its leaders and citizenry, no matter where they have come from or how long they have lived here, to continually improve our quality of life while fiercely defending the heritage of Culpeper.

Case in point is the State Theatre. Old-timers of Culpeper can remember the theater as a local movie house. Saved from the wrecking ball by an alliance of passionate visionaries of business, government, newly arrived refugees and old Culpeper legacy families, the State Theatre promises to be the centerpiece of the renaissance of a new Culpeper, bringing entertainment, culture, night life, tax revenue and jobs. The State Theatre has already fostered a new energy and vitality to Camelot.

My 2015 vision: As tourists flock to town to the see the films, plays and concerts at the State Theatre, business in the surrounding restaurants and shops has dramatically increased. The collaboration with the Library of Congress to show its films in the theater and establish a Culpeper film festival has raised the stature of the community and created a new and expanding source of revenue.

The increase in town and county revenue raises the tax base and lowers taxes for the rest of us. The location of Culpeper in the center of the I-Box (interstates 95, 66, 81 and 64) has created a natural market for the theater among the surrounding communities of 1 million people, and they come to Culpeper for not only the theater but also for shopping and other events.
We become the cultural center of the Piedmont. Businesses take note of the charm of this place, the location to the major urban hubs, the high-quality labor force, and relocate. Our jobless rate is among the lowest in the commonwealth.

Space prevents me from continuing.

This is an exciting time for all of us in Culpeper. Any investment we can make, public or private, that will increase jobs and tax revenue is a good thing. We need this project in these hard times.

In summary: Why is the State Theatre important to the community and worthy of the $1.5 million in funding proposed by the Town’s Finance Committee?

1. The contributions to the theatre to date ($8.1M) have been raised from private sources.

2. This project will bring about jobs to the community.

3. The project will add local jobs, tax revenue and business growth to the community in the short and long term.

4. The recession will eventually end and growth will kick off again with more of our neighbors looking to spend their discretionary resources on entertainment. Our central location will drive market here. (Don’t forget the train.) We will be ready to host them and their money.

5. The recession won’t last forever. The market will turn around and the cost of labor and materials will escalate accordingly, driving up the cost of the project. Now is the time to move.

6. The town and county investment will develop other revenue-generating projects that spin off of the State Theatre success, i.e., new businesses and services.

7. Finally, the hope for the future of our beloved Camelot is in our hands, not in the growth of the surrounding urban centers.

In my brief association with the theatre project, I have been so impressed with the leadership and the unanimity of support from the community.  We owe the members of the State Theatre Foundation our deepest gratitude and support.

Meriwether’s column runs every other Thursday.