Lancaster waives lease payments for movie theater

LANCASTER, Wis. — The City of Lancaster won’t be receiving two more lease payments for use of Grantland Theater at City Hall.

Common Council members this week waived the $1,500 lease payments for State Theaters LLC for the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

The theater has not reopened since it was closed March 25 when Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order to close non-essential businesses. Earlier this year, council members approved waiving the lease payments for the second and third quarters of this year.

Duane DeYoung, of State Theaters, told Common Council members in August that he hoped to open the theater in October, but it did not reopen.

DeYoung told Lancaster City Clerk and Treasurer Dave Kurihara that State Theaters received money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act but that the federal government said that funding cannot be used by businesses to make lease payments.