The empty Hutchhins School building on Mosher Street will have a new tenant—the Mad Horse Theatre Co. of Portland.
The City Council agreed Monday to give a five-year lease to the theater company, which will use the building to store wardrobes, props and equipment, and as a rehearsal space.
“This will bring a richness and a diversity to the city,” said District 2 Councilor Patti Smith. “It’s a fantastic idea.”
The 4,800-square-foot building has been empty since the People’s Regional Opportunity Program (PROP) moved out a year ago. Since then, neighbord have complained about “undesirables” gathering in the playground next to the school.
The group plans to renovate part of the building into an apartment for a caretaker, which means someone will be in the building most of the time.
The theater will pay $400 per month for the first three years of the lease and $800 a month for the last two years. The group will also pay utilities, which total more than $24,000. Assistant City Manager Erik Carson, who worked on the lease, explained that the city agreed to make the lease affordable in order to help get the theater into the building.
