ANDERSONVILLE — Timeline Theatre will not be coming to the development slated for the former Trumbull Elementary School in Andersonville.
In August of last year, Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th) announced that Svigos Development was the highest bidder for the repurposing the shool building and they'd be partnering with the theater company, which would occupy the first floor, but Friday the alderman said he was "disappointed to report" the deal wasn't going to happen.
"Timeline and Svigos Development, along with my office and numerous representatives from the City and Board of Education, have worked extensively for over a year to attempt to make this partnership a success. This is not a reflection on the effort put forth by any party," O'Connor said in a newsletter.
"The landmarking process for the building added complication to the project that simply made it too difficult for Timeline to make Trumbull their home," he said.
Svigos Development remains the "contract purchaser" and it has been given until "a date toward the end of October" to close on the property at the intersection of Ashland Avenue and Foster Street by the Board of Education, O'Connor said.
TimeLine Theatre confirmed it ended its involvement in the deal Friday.
“TimeLine embarked on a complex, year-long collaboration to develop financial and architectural plans that could meet both the theatre’s artistic and operational needs as well as the developer’s needs, which included pursuing federal historic preservation tax credits,” said John Sirek, the theater's board president.
“After extensive and exhaustive work, it has become clear that there is an inherent conflict between what renovations are allowed in order to meet the requirements related to the developer’s tax credits, and what renovations are essential to meet TimeLine’s goal of building a flexible and intimate home that supports the technical and audience engagement needs of our professional theatre.”
Svigos Development did not immediately return request for comment.
The theater company was disappointed, but the partnership was not the right fit, said P.J. Powers, the company's artistic director.
“We relished the idea of bringing our mission of exploring history to life through the revitalization of a historic building, as well as creating a new community gathering place in the vibrant Andersonville neighborhood," Powers said.
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