The Medford City Council approved the allocation of CPA funds to install air conditioning at the Chevalier Theatre.

The Chevalier Theatre will finally get an air conditioning system, unlocking opportunities for performances throughout the summer months.

The City Council voted 7-0 on Dec. 18 to approve the allocation of $300,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for the installation of an air conditioning system at Chevalier. The Community Preservation Committee had signed off on the request earlier this month.

The historic, city-owned Chevalier Theatre has booked more acts and sold more tickets than ever before since having been taken over by a professional management company, Bill Blumenreich Presents, Inc. But the lack of air conditioning in the theater has made it impossible to schedule shows in the summertime, explained John Costas, chairperson of the Civic Auditorium and Convention Center Commission.

“The Civic Commission has been trying for 30 years to put A/C in the building,” Costas told the City Council at its regular Dec. 18 meeting. “We would like to do more shows, and we’ve never done shows in July and August for that reason.”

Submitted by the City of Medford, the CPA project costs a total of $600,000, but only $300,000 will come from the city’s CPA funds from the Historic Preservation category. To cover the other costs, the city plans to apply for $200,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in January 2018 and expects to receive $100,000 in June 2019 through a community agreement with Encore Boston Harbor, formerly known as the Wynn Casino.

“This $300,000 will be used to demonstrate the city’s commitment as a match for an application to the Mass Cultural Council,” Ken Krause, treasurer of Friends of the Chevalier Theatre and Gene Mack Gym, told the council.

The $600,000 will only cover the first phase of a larger effort to bring air conditioning to the entire building, according to Costas. The goal is to complete the first phase, which would install air conditioning in the stage, lobby and concession area, in time to schedule performances for the summer.

“Phase 1 is the big concern right now. We really want it done by June,” Costas said.

The city council and CPC voted on the project prior to the 11 other pending CPA projects because of the time constraint of the Massachusetts Cultural Council grant and because it was submitted as an off-cycle project. The council will likely vote on the other projects in January.

In voting to approve the project, the CPC recognized the community and economic benefits of the Chevalier Theatre, which are currently limited only to the colder months, said Roberta Cameron, chair of the CPC.

“[This] has an impact not only on the theater being able to attract the national performers it has been attracting under its current management, but it also impacts Medford businesses in the Square when we aren’t able to have the theater bringing that traffic into the Square,” Cameron told the council.

The Medford Chamber of Commerce and three local businesses wrote letters in support of this project, noting that under Blumenreich's management, the Chevalier has had an especially positive impact on their businesses. Some restaurants in the area, including Tenoch Mexican Restaurant and Real Gusto Italian, reported a 100 percent increase in business on performance nights at the Chevalier in the last year.

“[The] Chevalier Theatre has become a driving economic force making Medford Square a greater Boston destination magnet. The installation of air conditioning at Chevalier would make it a year-round force for the economic well-being of Medford,” wrote Richard Raso, owner of Raso’s Bar and Grille on nearby Mystic Avenue.

City councilors raised some concern about the project, mostly relating to the cost, which is higher than all of the other pending CPA projects. Some councilors were also disappointed that Bill Blumenriech Presents, a for-profit company, has not yet committed to helping pay for the air conditioning.

The city is currently discussing that possibility with Bill Blumenreich, according to Allie Fiske, the business and cultural liaison to Mayor Stephanie M. Burke.

“I’d love to see that come to fruition,” said Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn.

Despite that concern, councilors unanimously approved the project in recognition of its potential benefits to businesses, residents and taxpayers.

“I think Councilor Lungo-Koehn summed it up best: This is something that’s been a long time coming and a long time in the waiting, and I move for approval,” Councilor Adam Knight said.