FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ziska West Marketing & Communications The Avalon Theatre 5612 Connecticut St. NW 202-966-2149 zwest@theavalon.org www.theavalon.org
CHEVY CHASE DC CELEBRATES PURCHASE OF HISTORIC AVALON THEATRE! Local non-profit gains hope for the permanence of this rare community icon.
WASHINGTON DC – November 1, 2006 – Last Sunday night, the silver screen at the Avalon had a particularly celebratory shine. Longtime local supporters, patrons and various community leaders, including the Democratic nominee for Ward 3 City Council Mary Cheh, DCAHC Chair Dorothy McSweeny, and others gathered at the theater—located at 5612 Connecticut St. NW, in the Chevy Chase area of DC. The occasion celebrated the recent purchase of this historic landmark by its current occupant, The Avalon Theatre Project (ATP). In recognition of community leaders Bob and Joanne Zich a plaque was presented, and can be seen in the theater’s lobby, recognizing their tireless work and initiative in the Avalon’s recent past. Attendees then enjoyed a screening of the 1952 musical classic, ―Singin’ in the Rain‖ on the theater’s main screen. Currently the only independently owned, non-profit cinema in the District, the building was purchased from owner Douglas Development on July 13, 2006, after the ATP secured two grants from the District of Columbia for this purpose. The theater plans on repaying a $1.3 million-dollar mortgage, financed through Chevy Chase Bank, and make badly needed infrastructure improvements over the next five years by launching a $1.5 million dollar capital campaign. ―Sunday night’s event was a time to pause in the Avalon’s evolution, thank the community of people who had an investment in keeping the theatre around, and celebrate the most recent success—the purchase of the building. Our next natural evolutionary phase is now before us – to launch a capital campaign to raise the funds necessary to repay our bank loan and to invest in important building improvements. A successful campaign will bring the Avalon that much closer to its goal to forever be an independent, community-focused cinema that is known throughout the DC area for its innovative film programming,‖ said Bill Oberdorfer, ATP’s Executive Director. Less than five years ago there was a chance that the theater would be gone for good, but thanks to a series of events, a few angels, and some hard work and perseverance—the theater is here to stay—given that the community support continues. Cineplex Odeon, which eventually merged with Loews, owned and operated the theater from 1988 until 2001, but abandoned the location as a part of their bankruptcy declaration in early 2001. Neighbors were outraged that a theater that was thriving one day could be closed the next. Led by Bob Zich, a retired Library of Congress employee and Chevy Chase D.C. resident the ―Friends of the Avalon‖ committee was formed to explore the likelihood of saving the theater.
In November 2001, the group incorporated as a nonprofit organization and the Avalon Theatre Project (ATP) was born. Its mission was to reopen the Avalon as a movie house and community resource. The hard work of the ATP paid off. After securing a major grant from the American Legacy Foundation, and with the overwhelming support of the surrounding community, the Avalon was reopened on April 22, 2003 But the Avalon’s reopening turned out to be only the first hurdle in a more complicated series of unexpected triumphs…―We always thought restoring and reopening the theater would be the hard part,― says ATP’s current Chair Debra Yogodzinski. ―It turns out, operating the theater in the competitive D.C. marketplace was the real challenge.‖ The pending expiration of a $500,000 operational grant from the American Legacy Foundation in 2006, which largely paid the lease, led ATP’s Board to adopt a building purchase strategy, successful implementation of which required securing DC Government grant funding. DC City Council Members Patterson and Evans each introduced legislation to secure two grants totaling $2.5m. Grant funding in late 2005 and early 2006, along with the financing from Chevy Chase Bank, enabled ATP to complete the building purchase earlier this year. ―In the short-term, the purchase enabled ATP to both improve its financial condition through lowered occupancy costs and to invest some of the savings in needed administrative staff‖, said Mr. Oberdorfer. ―In the long-term, we will need to retire the debt so that we can invest those funds in realizing our vision for the future of the Avalon.‖ For more information on The Avalon Theatre go to www.theavalon.org. To sign up for the newsletter e-mail newsletter@theavalon.org. Press may contact Ziska West at zwest@theavalon.org for any additional information or for hi-res images.
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