Council approves Playhouse lease, splits on Grove Street parking deal
Town Council · Meeting of February 9, 2026
New Canaan Town Council approves Playhouse lease, splits 10-2 on parking deal. Meeting Monday, the council unanimously backed a commercial lease for the town-owned Playhouse at 93 Elm Street with prospective operator Scene One New Canaan LLC, after resident Roy Brown warned the town had invested $10.3 million in a building now appraised at $4.5 million and was still owed $340,000 in back rent from a prior operator, Cinema Lab. "That is a bad trade and an absurd return on investment," Brown said.
Council member Maria said she pushed for stronger financial reporting and security from the new operator. Separately, the council voted 10-2 to approve a 10-year parking lease at 28 Grove Street, with two members dissenting over the lease length and a one-week bidding window.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 873 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of February 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — February 9, 2026 — The New Canaan Town Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a commercial lease for the town-owned Playhouse theater at 93 Elm Street, hours after a resident warned the council was repeating the financial mistakes that led a previous tenant to leave owing the town money.
The council also approved, 10-2, a separate 10-year lease for outdoor employee parking on town land at 28 Grove Street. Both actions followed a public hearing required under Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-163e and a closed-door executive session to discuss lease negotiations.
The Full Story
Town Council Chairman Mike Morrow opened the special meeting and public hearing at 7:30 p.m. with a roll call of council members, then moved to public comment on two proposed leases: the Grove Street parking arrangement and the Playhouse lease with a prospective operator identified in the hearing as Scene One New Canaan LLC. No one signed up to speak specifically on the Grove Street item; all public comment was directed at the Playhouse.
Tom Brown, of 32 Mill Road, urged the council to favor a nonprofit operating model for the Playhouse, citing the Bedford Playhouse, the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington, the Avon Theater in Stamford and the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield as examples of nonprofit cinemas that have survived where for-profit operators have struggled. "I strongly support selecting a nonprofit operator for the Playhouse," Brown said.
Resident Roy Brown raised sharper concerns, saying the proposed lease terms were posted publicly only on the Friday afternoon before the Monday hearing, leaving "insufficient time for public review." He reviewed the building's financial history: the town spent $2.3 million to acquire the Playhouse in 2000 and roughly $8 million to renovate it, for a total investment of $10.3 million in a building he said is now appraised at $4.5 million. He criticized the proposed rent of $15.42 a square foot as far below a fair market rate he put at $90 a square foot, and questioned a revenue-sharing provision he said would generate only $37,800 annually if targets are met. Brown noted that Bow Tie Cinemas, which operated the Playhouse from 2000 to 2021, left owing unpaid rent, and that a subsequent operator, Cinema Lab, more recently left the town owing $340,000 in back rent. He questioned why the new lease requires only three months of security rather than a letter of credit.
"The town has invested $10.3 million in a building currently appraised at $4.5 million. Now, that is a bad trade and an absurd return on investment." — Roy Brown, resident
"Has our board of selectmen and town council not learned from their lesson from the Cinema Lab fiasco?" — Roy Brown, resident
Patty Murray, a Playhouse staff member who told the council she has worked at the theater for nearly two years and lived in New Canaan for 11 years, spoke in support of the current operation, describing a staff that has "held together as a team" through recent difficulties. "I just wanted to put in a little plea for us because we've worked really hard and we're really proud of it," Murray said.
After public comment closed, the council voted 11-1 by roll call to enter executive session under Connecticut General Statute Section 1-206(d) to discuss the lease negotiations, over an objection from one member who questioned the need for confidentiality given that lease terms were already posted online. Following executive session, council member Maria, who made the motion to approve the Playhouse lease, said she had pushed during the closed session for regular financial reporting from the incoming operator and a stronger security deposit or letter of credit, "so that we don't get caught in the same situation that we were in with" Cinema Lab. The Playhouse lease then passed unanimously.
On the Grove Street parking lease, Maria voted no, saying a 10-year term was too long and would limit opportunities for other businesses to eventually access the spaces. Council member Kim Norton also voted no, citing a one-week bidding window on the request for proposals and suggesting alternative uses, including a "pop-up park," might have drawn more interest. The measure passed 10-2.
Why It Matters
The Playhouse lease decision comes after two consecutive operators, Bow Tie Cinemas and Cinema Lab, left the town-owned theater owing unpaid rent, most recently $340,000. With $10.3 million already invested in a building now appraised at $4.5 million, council members added financial safeguards, including regular reporting and a stronger deposit requirement, before approving a new operator.
The Grove Street decision locks in a 10-year use of town land for employee parking, a term two council members said was too long given only one week of bidding and unexplored alternative uses for the site.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Move into executive session under CGS 1-206(d) to discuss lease negotiations Tally: For: 11, Against: 1, Abstain: 0, Total: 12
- Vote: Approve commercial lease for the Playhouse building at 93 Elm Street Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Approve parking area lease agreement at 28 Grove Street Tally: For: 10, Against: 2, Abstain: 0, Total: 12
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Town Council meeting, February 9, 2026