Both Joliet and Aurora already have theaters on the scale proposed by the Omnia group for the area near the downtown Naperville train station. A spokesman for the Joliet's Rialto said another theater would seriously affect his venue's revenue base. But officials with Aurora's Paramount say they think there's room for more arts options in an area that houses more than 300,000 people. However, they also say working together to create "synergy" between the two would be most important to make sure both would be profitable.
What do you think? Is Naperville's art community alive and well? With the recently constructed Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center at North Central College, would a 950-seat venue be overkill? Would you see second-run Broadway shows in downtown Naperville at a venue here? How about the promise that the theater would be self-sustaining? How would owners be able to generate enough revenue to keep it from becoming a drain on the local economy?
