DeKalb city leaders at odds over Egyptian Theatre request for $75K in federal COVID relief funds

DeKALB – DeKalb city leaders reached an impasse this week debating a $75,000 request for COVID-19 relief funding made by the Egyptian Theatre, while fielding calls of support for the American Rescue Plan Act money.

Among those voicing support for the nonprofit theater groups’ joint funding request were DeKalb City Council members Barb Larson, Carolyn Morris, Tracy Smith and Scott McAdams. Aldermen Greg Perkins, Anthony Faivre and Mike Verbic and Mayor Cohen Barnes voiced opposition. No vote was held on the request Monday.

Almost two dozen businesses have written letters of support for the Egyptian Theater and Stage Coach funding, citing the venues’ contributions to DeKalb’s art and entertainment community. Several supporters showed up to ask the council to grant the funding requests this week.

The Egyptian Theatre and Stage Coach Players are seeking $75,000 and $25,000 in assistance from what remains of the city’s ARPA grant funding allotment, respectively.

Alex Nerad, Egyptian Theatre executive director, made a pitch to the City Council on behalf of both organizations, saying they are “disproportionately” impacted by COVID-19.

“It is important to note that our industry is far from back to normal,” Nerad said. “Across the country, ticket sales and attendance at live events continue to trend on average 50% of what it was before the pandemic. Locally, we are experiencing that same trend and just like the rest of our industry, are unclear when things will improve.”

The city has about $278,000 remaining in ARPA grant funding to distribute, officials said.

City Manager Bill Nicklas said the allotment in question is set aside for purposes of this type.

“It’s a small amount that would be available to address many of these concerns,” Nicklas said.

Despite city documents stating the Egyptian hadn’t disclosed that it received two other COVID-19 relief grants since the pandemic’s inception in 2020, Nerad said the Egyptian has long disclosed that information, which remains publicly posted on the theater’s website.

According to city documents, the theater received $687,989 from the federal Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue grant program and $92,181 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Dozens packed the City Council meeting to sit in on the fate the Egyptian Theatre and Stage Coach Players’ joint request for ARPA grant funding.

Joseph Flynn, associate for professor curriculum and instruction at Northern Illinois University, said the funds requested by both organizations are “sensible, financially responsible and necessary” in order to help them stay afloat.

“The modest amount will go far to ensure our community continues to have amazing opportunities to share, explore and enjoy film and theater,” Flynn said. “After all, what is a community without art?”

Brian Reynolds, owner of First Choice Security, urged the City Council to support the joint funding request.

“They can’t run the nonprofits without it,” Reynolds said. “Volunteering is hard to come by these days. … You can’t have this great city without the Egyptian Theatre, without Stage Coach coming down and giving a place for people to come have a safe environment and really enjoy themselves on a weekend, a weekday, or even a Pride parade.”

Faivre (7th Ward) said it’s clear that the Egyptian Theatre makes a large impact on the city, especially from an entertainment standpoint but there are other needs and uses for the ARPA grant funds.

“If people don’t want to come to the city of DeKalb because they fear violence might be happening or they might be a victim of crime in DeKalb, what good does additional funding to the Egyptian Theatre do at this point?” Faivre said. “I think the City Council has to make these tough decisions, and it’s not an easy decision to make. But for myself at this point, I’m not going to recommend going forward.”

Larson (2nd Ward) – who disclosed that her daughter is employed at the theater – said she disagreed with Faivre’s remark, listing how the theater played host to recent free and educational events about community resources.

“This isn’t just about entertainment,” Larson said. “They have put on programs for free about mental health, about community outreach, dealing with suicide. They have put on the show that we just saw the other night that will help … how to deal with racism and to open people’s minds and to see that we’re all the same color on the inside. I mean, it’s about supporting Safe Passage ... I mean, it’s not just about going, showing me a movie and making me feel happy.”

Perkins (4th Ward) said he wasn’t ready to support the funding request and wants more information.

“I think everyone’s torn, and we want to make the right decision for those remaining funds,” Perkins said. “Without some vision on what we see for that, I’m a little uneasy to make a choice today. … I think there are other entities ... that, I think, would have a voice, a compelling voice for some of these funds as well. I’d just like to have a little more information in front of me before making that determination if possible.”

Nicklas stressed to city leaders that the grant funding may not be available six months from Monday’s meeting for the council to decide on how it may be used.

“I don’t want to misrepresent that it’s just going to be hanging there and sometime in 2024 we’ll come back to it,” Nicklas said. “That would be ingenuine. I’m not going to suggest that to you.”

Nerad urged the City Council to take action.

“We started asking for these funds in June of [20]’21, so it’s now been over a year and a half that we’ve been working with city staff and members of the City Council to try and bring this request forward,” Nerad said. “For us, this isn’t a first time. It’s been a year-and-a-half knowing that at any moment some new surprise could put one or both of our organizations out.”

It remains unclear when or if the City Council may reconsider the joint funding request.