MEDFORD — Craterian officials have publicly denounced a proposal by Jefferson Public Radio to renovate the Holly Theatre, creating what they say would be a rival performing arts center in downtown Medford.

Kingsley Kelley, president of the Craterian Performances board, said the Holly essentially would rob entertainment dollars from the Craterian and duplicate acts.

“That is why the Craterian Board of Directors does not support the Holly project,” Kelley stated in a Nov. 24 letter to Craterian supporters.

The JPR Foundation is trying to raise $499,000 by March 15 to complete the purchase of the theater at the corner of Holly and Sixth streets. Restoring the Holly would cost an estimated $3 million to $4 million.

Ron Kramer, executive director of JPR, took issue with the Craterian letter, saying the Holly would increase the performing arts profile of Medford and the valley, and ultimately bring in more entertainment dollars.

He said the programming would be vastly different at the two venues, so the Holly wouldn’t duplicate acts as Craterian officials claim.

“That is absolutely, categorically untrue,” Kramer said.

Once renovated to its former glory, the Holly would draw acts that JPR features at its Cascade Theatre in Redding, Calif. The Holly would have a glowing neon marquis and a 1,000-seat auditorium. The Craterian can seat 750.

‘No-win situation’

Don Skundrick is a Craterian board member but said he would only make comments about the Holly as a private citizen.

He thinks there isn’t enough money flowing into the valley to support two performing arts centers in Medford.

“I would love to be able to think there are enough revenues in our valley, but ultimately there is only ‘X’ amount of dollars,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could do both? I don’t think it would work.”

The Jackson County commissioner-elect said Craterian supporters are very protective of their theater.

“It’s almost a no-win situation for the Craterian,” he said. “It looks like we’re being selfish.”

On the other hand, if board members don’t express their views, some people may think the board didn’t correctly assess the potential economic threat from the Holly, he said.

Different business models

After looking at the program list for the Redding theater and the Craterian, Kramer concluded that only two or three performances during the year were duplicates. He said the Holly would add to, not subtract from, the entertainment lineup.

“If we ran with the same business model as the Craterian, the valley wouldn’t support the two,” he said.

Citing the differences in programming, he said the Cascade doesn’t host Broadway productions. The Cascade also shows some films, presents material that JPR puts on air such as classical and chamber performances, and books other artists who don’t appear at the Craterian.

Craterian officials indicated the area doesn’t need a larger venue because the average attendance at the Craterian peaked at 84 percent of capacity in 2007, but has dropped to 76 percent for the past two years. For larger events, the high school auditoriums can be used.

Despite the negative reaction to the proposal, Kramer said JPR is committed to the renovation project and to developing a collaborative relationship with the Craterian.

“The Holly Theatre is going to happen,” he said.