Four years after its re-opening, Lexington's Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center will undergo an independent financial audit.
Council member Harry Clarke brought the issue before the council's Budget and Finance Committee Tuesday. Located in downtown Lexington on Elm Tree Lane, the Lyric closed in 1963. The refurbished facility re-opened in 2010.
Director Rasheeda El-amin says the new and improved Lyric has seen a transition period. "Things are going great, definitely forward movement. We have a lot of activity at the Lyric Theater which we didn't previously. I know the council member mentioned we've gone through a few growing pains. We had to figure out our identity, but we're headed in the right direction now," said El-amin.
Council member Clarke says his call for the audit was not a negative action, but rather a way to show the progress made at the Lyric. Vice Mayor Linda Gorton says the Lyric is on a "good path" with a strong director and board looking toward the future. Gorton says over the last four years, a major challenge for the Lyric has been persuading people to make their first visit. "We realized at the time, that the big challenge would always be getting members, getting people down there to events and raising money," said Gorton.
The audit is expected to be completed by the end of the year.?
