Page 53 - BusinessWest November 14, 2022

Victory
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improvements have been undertaken over the years to ready the theater for restoration.
Steps have included asbestos removal, installing
a new roof, converting the gas utility to electric (a project still underway), restoration of historic murals located near the stage, replacing non-compliant win- dow coverings with new polycarbonate clear cover- ings, and other initiatives that together total nearly $5 million.
Overall, the structure is very sound, noted Sand- ers, adding that no expense was spared in building it.
Victory Is in Sight
To bring a project like the Victory Theatre to a suc- cessful result, a number of elements have to come together, Palmer said. These include leadership,
a commitment from the community, funding, of course, and sometimes a little luck.
In the case of the Victory, the luck, if one chooses to call it that, comes in the form of ARPA money in the wake of the pandemic, funds that are expected to close most, but not all, of a $5 million to $6 million gap between the $58 million needed for the project and what has been raised through various means, including historic tax credits and new market tax credits; private, individual, corporate, and foundation donations; and public grants.
“ARPA money is what helped this project turn the corner,” Palmer explained, adding that the federal government has released $350 billion in funds to individual cities and states, and those working on the Victory Theatre project are currently working with several lobbyists to position this initiative for a $12 million ARPA allocation.
“It hasn’t happened yet ... it’s coming in dribs and drabs, pieces here, pieces there,” she said, adding that the ARPA funds will constitute roughly half of what still needs to be raised for the project.
The rest will be raised locally, she said, adding that $7.5 million has been pledged, and there are plans for a community effort with a goal of raising $2 million.
Local fundraising will include mostly smaller donations, Palmer said, but that grassroots effort, which will involve phone calls, knocking on doors, letter-writing campaigns, and fundraisers and friend-
Arbors
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as Robertson can remember, the family business was something she’s always wanted to pursue.
“Growing up in a family business is unique in that your entire world revolves around business; you hear it at the dinner table, at family get-togethers, even at holidays,” she told BusinessWest. “I think at one time or another, all of us pondered what we really wanted to do in life, but the family business pulled us in. We had to be willing to put in the same amount of hard work, determination, and dedication that our parents and grandparents did.”
Robertson’s parents and grandparents never
had to experience a pandemic like COVID-19. But the third generation took lessons from those who came before them — especially those involving hard work, determination, and dedication — to perse- vere through a period that tested them in every way imaginable.
Because assisted-living facilities have the most fragile populations to protect and keep safe, Robert- son and her team had to learn to adapt and pivot in real time. There were safety guidelines coming from different agencies that had to be maintained and communicated to the staff weekly.
Robertson described the past few years as “by far the most challenging of our careers.” Not only did
raisers of all kinds, will bring area residents and busi- nesses into the fight to restore the theater, and it will send a strong message to elected leaders about the importance of the initiative — to the city and region as a whole.
Mayor Garcia agreed, and noted again the impor- tance of the project, not just from the standpoint of the arts, as significant as that is, but to the proverbial big picture in Holyoke and the region.
“The Victory Theatre checks off a lot of boxes,” he said. “When we think of what we’re trying to do in our city, in our downtown, in terms of tourism and eco- nomic development, this is just another piece of the greater economic system puzzle that we’re trying to solve here.”
Elaborating, he said the theater cannot exist in a vacuum, and there must be an infrastructure of sup- porting businesses — restaurants, bars, and other hospitality-related ventures — to make a revitalized Victory Theatre succeed.
Palmer concurred, and to explain, she did some math.
“When the theater opens, it’s going to be sub- stantial — there are 1,600 seats in there,” she said. “The average occupancy, or utilization, rate of any nonprofit regional theater on any given night is 65%, so there will be 1,100 people bopping around that neighborhood several times a week. Right now, there aren’t many things to do, and certainly not enough to accommodate 1,100 people.
“So, there’s a parallel effort we’re working on to make sure, when the theater opens its doors, that the ancillary economic benefit will be ready to go,” she went on, adding that city officials and the strike force are working to help make sure that there is an infra- structure in place to support the theater.
Meanwhile, work continues to build on the cur- rent momentum and convince the public that there is a path to getting this done, said Aaron Vega, Holyoke’s Planning director, adding that more than 40 years of waiting for action on the property has created some stubborn skepticism that still must be overcome.
“It does take a long time for these projects to hap- pen, and there has been work done,” he said. “Unfor- tunately, it’s not visible from the outside; people drive by and say, ‘it looks the same as it did 10 years ago or 20 years ago.’ Overall, we need to reinstill some ener- gy and some trust that this project is real.”
they have to pivot on the fly and adjust to constantly changing guidelines, but they had to cope with rising amounts of fear within the community about senior- living facilities, home care ... essentially every aspect of their multi-dimensional business.
She went on to explain that making “huge life decisions” became even more challenging than they already were. The main goal was making residents comfortable with where they were and what they needed from the facilities and their loved ones.
Recovery took time, she added, as people needed time to feel comfortable again with placing their loved ones in an assisted-living community or to allow a caregiver into their homes.
“We had to be patient, yet stay front of mind,” Robertson said. “We had to get more creative in our marketing efforts, hosting outdoor events, drive- through dine-and-dash events, hot-chocolate deliver- ies, home visits, and so much more.”
The pandemic threw the Arbors facilities a curve- ball since it forced the company to stop growing its brand, so its leadership could focus all of its efforts on the safety of its current residents and on recovering and improving services.
Robertson said that they wouldn’t have made
it through the pandemic without their staff. “They worked tirelessly under difficult circumstances for sev-
The bus trip to Schenectady and the Proctors arts complex was part of this larger effort, said Vega, not- ing that Schenectady and Holyoke are very similar in that they were both devastated by the loss of large employers (in the former’s case, it was General Elec- tric). And their respective restoration projects are similar as well in that they involved long periods of time and a deep commitment from the community.
“One of the reasons we took that trip is to have people be able to come back and tell the story of what a theater like this could do for Holyoke, obvi- ously, but also the entire region,” he said, adding that these discussions are now being had, generating what he and others expect will be more momentum.
And momentum not just for theater, he said, but what can come because of such a facility.
“I’m hoping that people can see the spinoff,” he explained. “The new restaurants, the buildings that were unoccupied being reoccupied — that’s the thing we want to see, the spinoff and the ripple effect; that’s what is going to affect everyone, not just those who will go to the theater.”
Bottom Line
Returning to the subject of those tours he has given — and will continue to give — Sanders said they do more then enlighten. They also educate and inspire those who take them.
In most all ways, they are better than a marketing brochure, better than talking to someone about the history and importance of this landmark.
“It’s our biggest selling point; it’s much better than me saying, ‘we have the last Broadway house in the region,’” he noted. “People walk through the door, they see 800 seats and the stage ... and they realize what a treasure this is.”
It’s been 43 years since this treasure was anything more than a piece of history, but if all goes well — and things are tending in that direction — it will soon be an important piece of the future. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
eral years now. We were and are lucky to have them.” As COVID restrictions loosen and the pandemic
comes to a close, Robertson and her Arbors teams are continuing to grow the business. The industry has matured, and smaller family businesses have diminished, but being able to assist and serve more residents and more families has always been the top priority, moreso now than ever.
“I think people in general have learned to navi- gate the pandemic, making choices that are right for them and their families. We still have safety protocols in place in our industry,” she told BusinessWest. “We will always have the most fragile population that lives with us, so we have to remain diligent now and in the future knowing public-health crises are possible.”
She went on to explain that she has always said, “it is our family taking care of your family.” Robert- son, Quinn, and Hanrahan are heavily involved in the daily operations and intend to continue in those roles. Whether there is an issue to address or some- one just needs a friendly face to talk to, the third gen- eration is right on the front lines, just as those who came before them. u
Kailey Houle can be reached at [email protected]
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