Future of Holly Theatre in Question

The future of continued Holly Theatre renovations is at this hour, uncertain.

“There’s no glory to have a building whose facade has been restored and its interior unusable, so I would hope something is going to happen to put the theatre back to life. Exactly how that would occur, I can’t really envision at the moment,” said Ron Kramer, Executive Director at the Jefferson Public Radio Foundation.

Kramer announced he’s stepping down from his post by the end of the month.

“I had really no choice but to step down,” said Kramer.

It comes on the heels of an Oregon chancellor’s audit of JPR and the JPR foundation, which said JPRF’s debt ratio was double the acceptable amount due to their involvement with projects like the Holly Theatre restoration in Medford.

Threats of lawsuits between the university system and the Jefferson Public Radio Foundation have been flying. Caught dead center is the Holly which was supposed to be part of downtown Medford’s revitalization.

Now both sides are cooling off and trying to mediate, but it’s small comfort for the city…counting on the promise of a new Holly.

“Just have to see what happens under the new mediation agreement. They have 90-days so that would take us into September,” said Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler.

Until then, the Holly Theatre remains locked in limbo.

Executive Director of the JPR Foundation, Ron Kramer spearheaded the Holly renovations. However, even without him, the president of the JPRF board, Steve Nelson said the foundation isn’t giving up on the Holly. But at the same time, they can’t promise anything.