If you think a fancy theater is an appropriate use of tax dollars, you’ll love Cary’s theater project. Cost of the project is now at $6 million — DOUBLE projected cost of $3 million. And despite that, the town council rejected staff ideas to cut $300,000 in costs. As one council member stated: “We’ll do it to Cary standards.”
Staff had offered a host of cost-cutting options, including “packaged roof-top mechanical units;” the replacement of some limestone accents with precast concrete; the elimination of the addition’s third floor and sheet rock in the theater ceiling; and the resizing of poster boxes.
Based on how things have gone so far, don’t be surprised if the budget continues to swell.