Jazz Hall CEO: Funds raised to continue at Union Depot
BY KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Sunday, October 07, 2012
10/07/12 at 8:23 AM
The CEO of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame said Friday that the nonprofit has raised the funds needed to continue operating at the county-owned Union Depot building - an assertion the landlord of the historic structure is not quite ready to accept.
"Late yesterday we received a check from the Jazz Hall of Fame," John Smaligo, Tulsa County Industrial Authority chairman, said Saturday morning. "Now, I am not aware of whether the check has cleared.
"Additionally, I have been made aware (by the electric company) that the Jazz Hall of Fame has paid a portion of its electric bill. The commitment we had from the Jazz Hall of Fame was that they would pay all of their bills, not just a portion of them."
The news comes just days before the authority is set to discuss the Jazz Hall's future at the Union Depot building.
The authority notified the organization last month that it is in default on its lease and gave it until Monday to comply with the terms of the agreement or face termination of the lease.
The Jazz Hall leases the Union Depot at First Street and Cincinnati Avenue, a facility bought and refurbished by the county with $4 million in Vision 2025 funds. It pays no rent.
According to the notice provided to the Jazz Hall, the lease violations include the late payment of insurance, downtown assessment and utility fees totaling more than $60,000 - about $25,000 of which is owed directly to the county.
In addition, the Jazz Hall violated the lease by making alterations to the building and permitting another entity to use the facility without the authority's permission, the notice states.
The Jazz Hall's CEO, Jason McIntosh, told the Associated Press on Friday that the organization would be able to pay off its bills.
"It's thanks to an outpouring of support of new and longtime patrons, and we're grateful and fortunate and appreciative," McIntosh said. "... We'll meet the obligations required by the county, and we are very appreciative for their patience in working with us."
McIntosh did not return calls from the Tulsa World on Saturday morning.
Earlier this year, a $3,882 check from the Jazz Hall of Fame to the Industrial Authority to cover half a year of insurance on the Union Depot arrived months late and then bounced.
The authority has since given the Jazz Hall two opportunities to pay its outstanding bills.
Smaligo also said Saturday that the authority has yet to receive a permanent certificate of occupancy from the Deborah Brown School - the organization the Jazz Hall allowed to use the Union Depot building without the authority's permission.
The authority's meeting on the Jazz Hall of Fame lease is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday in room 315 of the Ray Jordan Tulsa County Administration Building, 500 S. Denver Ave.
Original Print Headline: Jazz Hall CEO: Funds raised to continue
Kevin Canfield 918-581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Organizers have been given until the first part of October to pay some $60,000 in back bills or face an eviction notice. Associated Press file
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