WICHITA — It looks like a group other than NoMar Theatre Inc. will be purchasing the Crown Uptown Theatre.
“I have received an offer, and I’ve accepted it, and they’re working on getting everything finalized,” says owner Karen Morris.
“They are going to run it as a theater.”
Look for news on that group within a week or two.
In June, Have You Heard? reported that NoMar Theatre, which formed two years ago to try to buy and restore the historic NoMar Theatre at 21st and Market, was starting a capital campaign to try to buy the Crown Uptown space.
The idea was to make enough money there to eventually be able to buy and renovate the NoMar space.
Then earlier this month, Morris said another group wanted the space and seemed to have the money ready to buy it.
“Trying to raise money in this environment is very difficult,” says J Basham, NoMar’s interim executive director.
Morris called Basham Wednesday to explain the situation.
“I had a nice chit chat with Jay,” she says.
She says she feels bad for the group.
“We’re disappointed, obviously,” Basham says.
The group has a board meeting scheduled for Saturday to try to decide what to do next.
“We just don’t know what we’re going to do now,” Basham says. “We may sit back and regroup.”
Renting space from various venues to do productions is a possibility, he says.
He’s holding out hope for the Crown Uptown space as well.
“I’m still crossing my fingers that this other thing doesn’t happen.”
