Polly Klaas' theatrical dreams died when she was abducted from her Petaluma home in 1993 and murdered, but now another theater dream, named in memory of the 12-year-old, is closer to coming true.
The Polly Hannah Klaas Performing Arts Center, which would be housed in a former church in downtown Petaluma, is one of eight projects targeted by a proposed parcel tax measure to fund a variety of recreational projects.
The stately old red-shingled church at 407 Western Ave. has sat empty since 2000, when the city of Petaluma condemned the 1911 structure. Over the years the former Petaluma Christian Church, built on the site of an earlier church, was rechristened the Five Corners Community Center, the Five Corners Repertory Theater and, now, the proposed Polly Hannah Klaas Performing Arts Center.
Inside are stained glass windows dedicated to many of Petaluma's founding families, as well as memories of all the people who worshiped, and then performed there during its many incarnations.
Twelve years ago the first graduating class of Leadership Petaluma decided to renovate the heritage church as its civic project, name it for the young girl who had loved to perform in plays, and turn it into a venue for children's theater, music and dance.
The group created a board of directors and raised over $100,000 through donations and events, but the fundraising effort fell apart when Jack Stein, who was hired as executive director, was convicted of embezzling some of the funds and sentenced to eight months in jail.
"We stayed together for two or three years after that," said Jan Mandrell, recreation supervisor for Petaluma and a member of the center's board. "Then some people drifted away, but some of us still stay in contact with each other."
Currently the city holds approximately $170,000 in a designated bank account which could one day be used to finance the building's ultimate retrofitting. And that's where the proposed parcel tax - a $52 a year payment per parcel for all landowners in Petaluma - enters the picture.
Petaluma Friends of Recreation, the group that is working to put the tax on the city's November ballot, has included the Polly Klaas Center in its list of eight recreational projects that would be funded by the fee. Other projects include upgrading the city's two swim centers, replacing the Lucchesi Community Center roof, constructing the first phase of the East Washington Park, retrofitting playgrounds and tennis courts, resurfacing hiking trails, installing artificial turf at Prince Park playing fields and renovating the David Yearsley River Heritage Center.
According to Mandrell, estimates of what it would cost to turn the old church into a performing arts center have varied from $1.2 million to $1.7 million. The parcel tax proceeds would, over the course of its 12-year life, provide $500,000 of that money.
According to Moe Jacobson, a member of the Cinnabar Theater Board of Directors and PFOR, "That brings us a whole lot closer to our goal. It puts us in the ballpark for other interested parties to come forward and for grants to be available to us."
The theater company, with its main facility on Petaluma Boulevard North, is the likely candidate to manage the Polly Klaas Center. In fact, Polly Klaas was one of Cinnabar's Theater's students 20 years ago.
Cinnabar Theater Executive Director Elly Lichenstein envisions the center housing Cinnabar's children's classes and productions - as it has in the past - as well as providing space for youth performing arts activities.
"There's plenty of need for this in the community. It would be in use regularly," she said.
Currently the city owns the building, having purchased it in 1971 for $22,500 when the church decided to build a new house of worship on Schuman Lane.
For now, PFOR committee members are scrambling to raise at least $5,000 in the next 30 days, which, according to co-chair Andy Eber, would demonstrate to them that they would be able to come up with the $100,000 needed to put the measure on the ballot.
"We want to see where we are financially by March," Eber said.
(Contact Lois Pearlman at argus@arguscourier.com)\
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