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Residents and preservation group urge Board to support Mecca Theater restoration; mixed budget views among supervisors
Summary
Members of Save Our Heritage urged the Board to fund restoration of the historic Mecca Theater in Chase City; Budget & Finance Committee did not recommend additional county funding during budget adoption, and supervisors debated town participation versus county priorities.
Speakers from the nonprofit Save Our Heritage urged the Board to provide financial support for restoration of the historic Mecca Theater in Chase City, saying the project would preserve a community landmark and help economic development and tourism. Maryanne Wood and Beverly Wood (Director of Restoration for the Mecca project) described the theater’s cultural importance and asked the Board to reconsider funding to complete a next phase of restoration.
County budget conversations produced different views: the Budget & Finance Committee recommended no additional county funding at this time, prompting Board members to suggest a shared funding approach with the Town of Chase City or to revisit support from reserve funds later. Supervisor James Jennings noted the County had previously contributed $170,000 and said the Town should participate financially; other supervisors emphasized prioritizing infrastructure such as water and sewer before adding new project funding. The Board did not take immediate funding action on the Mecca request.
