DREAMLAND
BY DANIEL W. DRAKE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
As Eliza Doolittle sings wistfully in "My Fair Lady," "Wouldn't it be loverly" if Rick Ulmer's deal to purchase the Dreamland Theater had come to pass? But in the end, to paraphrase his summation, the projector broke down even before ticket sales began.

Now, at the Special Town Meeting Thursday night, Nantucket's voters are faced with the choice of whether the town should acquire the Dreamland property by one means or another for "municipal purposes." The town meeting warrant article goes on to authorize the selectmen to convey or lease the facility for a "Community Performing Arts Center for a term of twenty years."

If the voters pass the article authorizing the acquisition, the process is far from over. A Proposition 2 1/2 override is needed to provide the funds for the acquisition of the property and perhaps for its renovation. The price tag for the purchase and for renovations has been estimated at $16 million. ("Renovation" is a misnomer. It will be a new building inside an old façade by the time it is finished. And the expense will be much higher than it would be for constructing a totally new building with the same architectural features.) The question, of course, is whether this project is one that the voters should bless and the town should undertake.

The two principal arguments against the town's becoming involved are: 1) the town shouldn't be involved in the arts which are not central to the business of government; and 2) there are much more pressing infrastructure needs on which the town should be spending its resources.

The first argument is rooted in political philosophy and both sides have some merit. Nonetheless there are precedents. The most obvious is Lincoln Center which is a public/private partnership between New York City and a not-for-profit corporation which runs the Center, as well as other corporations responsible for each of the "spaces" within the Center.

The second is the more important question in this particular instance. As the current owner has found out, the Dreamland building is a pig in a poke. How much it will cost to renovate is still only a guess. No reputable contractor will undertake the project on a fixed-cost basis. Clearly in the end, it was not a project that Mr. Ulmer's potential investors wanted to take on.

What if the town were to acquire the property and then the renovation bogged down once again. Would the taxpayers be left holding the bag? The potential nightmares are myriad.

However, before being too pessimistic, we should probably hear out what the proponents suggest. If they have learned anything from their experience in front of the Finance Committee, they will come to the STM with a plan. They will have fleshed out the proposal with specific suggestions for management and fund raising. Their proposal will minimize the involvement of government. They will have suggestions as to how town administration can add this major effort to its platter of projects which include the Surfside sewer plant upgrade, the construction of the public safety building and other uses of the Fairgrounds Road property, the reconfiguration of the town building, the continuing infiltration and inflow sewer line project, the use of the electric company property, a possible new bus terminal and, so on.

The proponents have a lot with which to concern themselves, not the least of which is the process through which the positive motion which they will present at the STM got drafted. In order to allow them to focus on the important things, we offer some suggestions as to how the project might be financed, thus alleviating the taxpayers of the burden of carrying the acquisition and, perhaps, the renovations.

One thought might be to include a casino in the plans for the parking garage dreamed about for the electric company property. A casino perched on top of that structure would utilize otherwise wasted space; assure the use of the parking garage on a round-the -clock basis; and undoubtedly throw off enough profit to fund not only the Dreamland renovation, but also support the landfill operation in perpetuity. True, such a plan would require legislative approval, but that should be easily accomplished as an amendment hidden within the proposed sewer act that is being sent to the legislature in Boston.

Another idea is the sale of water. Nantucket has great water. No doubt, places like Philadelphia which aren't so blessed would be happy to purchase water from us. The water could be loaded into the same barges that now bring fuel to the island, thus making the return trip profitable - and less dangerous than towing a barge filled with petroleum fumes.

In the present owner's plans, the Dreamland project included construction of an underground garage. One individual, who wishes to remain unidentified because he fears being burned in effigy, suggests the revival of that thought because the garage also could hide the entrance to the mainland tunnel, which could then become a reality. In the absence of the ferry labor costs, a $200 one-way toll should easily cover both the tunnel costs and the Dreamland project. Any new power cables could also go through the tunnel saving a bundle on everyone's electricity costs.

There are other possibilities too numerous to mention, but one last thought is that if a captive wind-farm off Tuckernuck becomes reality, a "Dreamland surcharge" can be added to the rates of any electricity sold off-island. Living on Nantucket entails paying a surcharge on just about everything, so why not provide a dose of the same medicine to our mainland customers and get a performing arts center to boot.

Nantucket does need a good performing arts venue. But does it need to spend a lot of money on a derelict building with a questionable future in a prime (i.e. very expensive) commercial location to get it? And by the way, has anyone looked into their crystal balls to see how the movie industry might be distributing its product 10-20 years from now when technology has changed and the land under the megaplexes is too valuable to be used for movie theaters?

Other possibilities, such as the high school auditorium, should be examined. After all, that auditorium already has a stage and seats. How much imagination and tweaking - and money - would it take to turn that venue into a really good facility?

Yes, the thought of even the town taking over the Dreamland is a "loverly" idea - and one with no future. The town can afford lots of things, but it

can't afford a pig in a poke. I

The "Lighthouse Keeper" reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Nantucket Independent. Please send any ideas or comments to drake@nantucketindependent. com.