Jul 24, 2002 3 min read

Two years ago when Fayette County was on the brink of obtaining complete control of the Great Meadows Amphitheater we urged the commissioners to immediately place it in private hands. The amphitheater and its surrounding grounds in Wharton Township, near so many tourist attractions, has the potential to take off if placed in the care of those in the business of entertainment.

Let’s face it, the government has little experience here. Neither the county nor the state was able to make a go of it so it has lain dormant for far too long.

The county commissioners from time to time have discussed the amphitheater and the cost of keeping it maintained, and at one point said they were going to request proposals from those interested in the site.

Finally there is interest in the property by a writer and film studio developer, but Commissioner Ron Nehls presented the proposal in such vague terms that the other two commissioners brushed him aside and said they would request proposals.

So now the drama continues. Following the rebuff by the commissioners, Jason Thomas, who says he is a former columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Chicago Sun-Times and the writer of several books that have been made into television movies, revealed his plans during an interview with one of our reporters.

Thomas said he is one of the principals in Fayette Films LLC, which is offering to buy or lease the grounds in order to use as the setting for a few films a year.

Plans also include staging summer plays at the outdoor theater and perhaps hosting concerts and musical festivals. He also said he plans to hire local workers to aid in constructing sets, working on the site and cultivating local talent to form a repertory company through a joint venture with the State Theatre Center for the Arts.

He’s promising about 100 high wage jobs, a lively use for the Great Meadows site and a much-needed surge to the county’s cultural offerings.

Plus, the county would reap rental payments of $120,000 a year.

Commissioner Nehls was somewhat put out that Commissioners Vicites and Cavanagh didn’t jump at the money. Whether Nehls told the other two in private about Thomas and his plans is unknown. He said little during a public meeting. Had he put forth a name, along with the proposal, all three commissioners would have been privy to the details and been able to weigh the offer.

By formally requesting proposals, this is what Vicites and Cavanagh are requiring.

Now that Thomas has come forward, it also gives the commissioners time to weigh his credentials and his plans, something they would not have been able to do had they blindly rushed into a sketchy deal. A few added weeks should not make much of a difference.