Bonnie Kate -- A Next Step for Downtown Revitalization

I have only met a few people who have said in their opinion the purchase of the Bonnie Kate Theater by the community foundation was not a good idea. There are many valid reasons for putting the building into private hands – it could generate property taxes, the private sector takes on all of the risk, and, some would argue, the private sector could do a much better job of operating a business in that space.

While all of these benefits of the building being in the private sector may be true, we must equally weigh them against the benefits that the facility would provide when in the public sector hands. Some of these benefits include, bringing a new restaurant downtown, adding just one more destination to downtown, and creating a new asset for our community.

Talking with the foundation and the persons who have supported the preservation of the Bonnie Kate, they have already lined up a restaurateur to come and start a restaurant in the former café and bar spaces. I excited about this prospect because, while we already have many great restaurants downtown, we need more that will be open during evening hours.

The types of uses that have been discussed for the Bonnie Kate will make it another destination to our community and our downtown. This will serve as a revitalization tool to our downtown. One factor that we always consider in downtown revitalization is the number of destinations (think anchor tenants in a mall) in the downtown open during the day and during the evening. If the Bonnie Kate come to full realization, this will be a big addition to evening downtown destination.

Lastly, having the Bonnie Kate in the hands of the Foundation will create one more community asset to our city and county. The Foundation has intentions to bring in theatrical productions, musical concerts, and various other entertainment options. This provides something to this city and county that we have not had in the recent past. Community assets such as this bring people to our community from outside the area (like Johnson City, Bristol, and surrounding areas) and introduces them to our community. It also serves as a recruitment tool for people who are looking to move to East Tennessee and for business and industry.

Yes, the Bonnie Kate in the hands of the private sector could accomplish a lot with potentially similar outcomes. However, I would argue that with the vision and the building in private sector hands, it can become a permanent, historical institution to this community in the decades to come. Let’s talk about it.