CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Clarksburg would acquire the former Rose Garden Theater for $430,000, under an ordinance City Council will consider Thursday night.
The ordinance, up for the first of two readings, comes on the heels of an agreement reached between the city administration and owners C.J. Martin, James B. Lambert and David D. Rexroad, Mayor Cathy Goings said.
The proposed purchase price “was based on their appraisal and our appraisal,” Goings said. “This was a meeting in the middle.”
Martin confirmed that the agreed-upon amount fell between the two appraisals.
“We’ve come to a deal,” Martin said.
The regular City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Clarksburg Municipal Building, 222 W. Main St.
Restoring the former West Pike Street theater into a regional cultural center is part of the city’s strategic plan for reviving the downtown.
“The city manager (Martin Howe) has diligently been working on this for some time now,” Goings said. “I think this project could significantly change the face of downtown Clarksburg.
“This is an asset that is very instrumental in developing the arts and culture in the region, and this will be a milestone in achieving that,” the mayor added.
A survey commissioned by Clarksburg, Bridgeport and the Harrison County Commission found widespread moral support for such a facility in the area…