Sunflower Development Corp. plans annual meeting
Sunflower Development Co. Inc. will hold an annual meeting of stockholders at 7 p.m. March 15 in the city council room at the city building, 300 N. Walnut, Peabody.
An election of the board of directors will be held.
Sunflower Development Corporation was organized Sept. 26, 1963, for preserving the Sunflower Theatre building in Peabody.
The building was constructed in the 1920s principally to serve the community as a movie theatre, which it did for many years. It also provided for two street-level retail businesses and an upstairs physician's (later a dentist's) office. The Sunflower Theatre was a beautiful architectural addition to Peabody's mostly 1880s Main Street. It has served many years as a prime entertainment center for the community.
Abandoned as a movie house in the late 1950s, community leaders decided it would be well to look toward other uses.
The Sunflower Development Corporation (a for-profit corporation) was thus organized to acquire the building, provide for its preservation, and make a change in use. Modifications were subsequently made to accommodate a 10-pin, eight-lane bowling establishment that was associated with a Newton bowling alley operation. It has been thus occupied to this day since as Peabody Lanes under a lease arrangement with SDC. Peabody Lanes owns the bowling lanes and equipment.
The original owner-operators of Peabody Lanes sold the established business and personal property several years ago. It has had various owner-operators since that time. The current owners are unable to keep the establishment operating, and are actively looking for someone to take over the operation. Should they fail in finding someone who will buy or lease the business, the alleys and equipment will be removed and the building will be empty and inactive for the first time in years.
Sunflower Development Corporation stockholders have changed over the years, making it difficult to know what our future holds relative to the building's future. The current board of directors is keeping the building maintained and operational for the bowling alley. Should the bowling alley be salvaged out of the building, it is uncertain what use should then be pursued. We need input from the citizens of Peabody who are interested in keeping a vibrant downtown community.
It is our hope that many dedicated persons would again rally around the old theatre and help organize a movement toward a new and valued use for the building that would benefit the community. The right kind of effort could determine an occupancy that would generate new Main Street activity and revenue that adds to the business community's health as well as be of service to the larger community. Whether it continues as a bowling alley (which is feasible with the right infusion of effort), changes into a community auditorium, becomes a retail sales outlet, allows for a larger restaurant location or whatever, it needs to be open rather than closed.
Stockholders take note and community members come forward with your ideas and willingness to work toward the best solution for Peabody. If it is to remain a bowling alley, now is the time to provide support and backing. If the building is to be saved for the community, now is the time to come forward with your ideas and guidance.
For more information contact Randolph B. Robinson, president of the board of directors or Maxine Seibel at 983-2633.
