Legislation Details

File #: LM-2026-0055    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Order Status: Passed
File created: 2/10/2026 In control: City/Town Clerk
On agenda: Final action:
Title: ORDER OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN, ACTING THROUGH ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, CULTURE AND TOURISM TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE LONG WHARF THEATRE FOR AN EXTENDED DURATION EVENT AT THE CANAL DOCK BOATHOUSE
Attachments: 1. 0 - Checklist - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 2. 1 - Cover Letter - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency.docx, 3. 2 - Order - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 4. 3 - PNF - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 5. 4 - FIS - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 6. 5a - August Wilson Festival at Canal Dock Boat House Proposal - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 7. 5b - LWT - Gem of the Ocean - UC Cultural Affairs LWT Boathouse Residency, 8. Signature

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ORDER OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN, ACTING THROUGH ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, CULTURE AND TOURISM TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE LONG WHARF THEATRE FOR AN EXTENDED DURATION EVENT AT THE CANAL DOCK BOATHOUSE

 

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WHEREAS, the Long Wharf Theatre (the “Theatre”) is one of New Haven’s premiere arts and culture institutions and is a performing arts center of national renown; and

WHEREAS, professional theater houses nationally are suffering a loss of attendees and revenue even in a post-COVID economy and from which the Theatre has not been immune; and

WHEREAS, the Theatre no longer maintains a permanent location to stage performances; and

WHEREAS, the Theatre approached the City of New Haven (the “City”) with which the Theatre shares a long-standing relationship rooted in shared civic and cultural objectives including a commitment to cultural equity, about securing a portion of the Canal Dock Boathouse (the “Boathouse”) for an extended duration event in recognition of the 80th anniversary of playwright August Wilson’s birth which includes the August Wilson Celebration, a citywide partnership between the City and the Theatre honoring August Wilson’s artistry and legacy; and

WHEREAS, the August Wilson Celebration includes a production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean by the Theatre; and 

WHEREAS, the proposed length of the Theatre’s extended duration event will include seventeen (17) performances in February and March of 2026; and

WHEREAS, the August Wilson Celebration represents a method of delivering revenue for the Boathouse and value for the community from an extended duration event during the winter months in which few events are otherwise scheduled at the Boathouse; and

WHEREAS, the approved Boathouse fee schedule does not contemplate extended duration events with said schedule having been enacted with primarily short-term events in mind; and

WHEREAS, due to the cultural significance of the August Wilson Celebration to the Greater New Haven community and the Theatre’s constrained not-for-profit budget, the City is prepared to accept a discounted extended duration event rate to cover venue costs for the length of the residency, together with other non-monetary obligations of the Theatre concerning delivery of the August Wilson Celebration.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDERED, by the City’s Board of Alders that the City, acting through the City’s Economic Development Administration, is authorized to negotiate and enter into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”) with the Theatre for an extended duration event at a discounted fee from that otherwise provided for in the Boathouse fee schedule; and

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Mayor of the City of New Haven shall be authorized to execute and deliver the License Agreement and such other documentation as may be reasonably required in order for a portion of the August Wilson Celebration to take place at the Boathouse.