LEHMAN TOWNSHIP -- Newswatch 16 is learning more about what potentially went wrong with a performing arts center in the Poconos that hasn`t held a major event in years.
An attorney behind the original plans for the Mount Laurel Performing Arts Center told his side of the story for the first time ever.
That attorney told the Lehman Township Supervisors the original business model created for the center had specific components needed in order for it to survive. That original business plan was never implemented.
The Mount Laurel Performing Arts Center continues to sit empty for yet another season in Pike County. One of the last major events was back in the summer of 2011 when KISS performed.
Now attorney John Klemeyer told his side of why the center, which opened in 2003, continues to fail. Klemeyer was part of the original team that launched the center near Bushkill and says there was a specific business model for it.
“From day one, the only way the center was going to be financially feasible was if you had day to day traffic, you needed to have people come and spend money at the site, virtually every day for the season,” said Klemeyer.
Klemeyer says there were even partnerships in place with area bus companies to provide transportation, but he said for some reason that business model was never put in place.
“To my knowledge no one ever implemented the day to day plan,” said Klemeyer. “This needs to be done. We`re never going to fly, we`re never going to have this place operate if we don`t have that day to day traffic and if we don`t have the agreements with the bus companies to bring in the people.”
“His explanation of what was supposed to be is as close to Woodstock as anything as I've ever heard and I was at Woodstock,” said John Petrizzo.
The supervisors say the next step now is seeing what can be done with the center.
“Let`s come down to earth. You want people, you bus them. You work with Martz. You work with Greyhound. That`s how you move people to concerts like this,” said supervisor John Sivick.
The Lehman Township supervisors say they do plan to reach out to the current owner to see if there is interest in trying to reopen the performing arts center.