Special Bd. of Aldermen — 5/2/17 Page 18
have touring artists and entertainers that attract people. That’s really the key, catalytic event. Once those
people are seen on the sidewalk and active, that’s the thing that encourages entrepreneurs. Then these other
efforts work on the barriers. What really matters is taking down the barriers, like addressing people’s concerns
about parking, safety, will there be somewhere to go afterwards to eat. That drives participation further and it
starts this virtuous cycle where more people, more activity, other things develop and ultimately it becomes a
destination which is then part of this idea of a district. If you want to attract tourists and visitors to Nashua, it’s
very hard to do that with just a theatre, one anchor. You have to give them a series of things to do and
experience in Nashua. We say here’s a building that makes sense, but please think about this building as an
anchor in a district because that’s the thing that’s really going to put it over the top.
Alderman Dowd
| know this isn’t on the scale of the Palace Theatre in Manchester, but the last few months because of my
granddaughter’s stage presence, I’ve been up there probably more often than | wanted to be, and they were
double-booked a lot of times with practices, rehearsals, performances. They seem to be doing phenomenal.
Are they a similar type of setup with an endowment? They do have plaques on the walls of residents who
have donated money to the theatre, but they seem to be doing really well. | Know they are bigger. Is there any
relationship in what you are proposing to the way the Palace Theater operates?
Mr. Webb
The scale is different, but the impacts are the same.
Alderman Deane
You're perceived impacts are the same as the Palace Theatre?
Mr. Webb
In terms of direction. It does the same good things in a small theatre, in a small community as it does in a
bigger theatre in a larger community.
Mr. Aquilina
From an architectural point of view, bigger is not necessarily better. The Palace Theatre has its own
challenges like a theater in downtown Boston. They have 750-800 seats. They have to basically fill those
seats in order to make it viable. Their whole pro-forma is different. They have to succeed at doing something
different. They have their own challenges because of their size. A theatre at 500 seats can succeed in ways
that the Palace Theatre couldn’t because they don’t’ have the same operational challenges.
Alderman Lopez
| really don’t like hearing artists being called Stormtroopers. | think when artists are bringing vibrancy to a
community, they are just authentically expressing themselves. Usually the gentrification starts when someone
gets an agent and then suddenly people are noticing the local vibrancy and trying to capitalize on it. | think
what we have here in Nashua is a lot of very strong local groups and a lot of local talent which is why earlier |
was trying to reinvigorate the idea of the arts district. | think this is a scenario where the artistic community of
Nashua is where many hands make light work. | think that’s a strength we should not ignore. As aldermen, we
Cleary have to take a close look when someone suggests a project that’s going to cost us $15 million. It’s our
responsibility to vet it. | also think this conversation should really be a conversation of not if but how. How do
we get to the point where we can get the full anchor that we are looking for at Alec, and what pieces do we
have in place right now that we might be able to enhance to bring more money into the scene, more tourist,
