By Ted AYALA

Glendale Arts, the organization that oversees the management of the Alex Theatre, submitted its financial report for the third quarter of its financial year, covering January 2012 to March 2012, to Glendale City Council on Tuesday.

Confusion ensued when a miscommunication allowed the reports to be submitted incomplete.

“In the discussion of the Alex Theatre’s quarterly report, where are the financial statements?” asked Councilman Rafi Manoukian to Glendale Arts’ interim CEO Elissa Glickman.

“It was my understanding that we submitted cash reports. We can submit additional financial statements at a later date,” she answered.

Councilman Ara Najarian also voiced his confusion over the legality of having the Alex submit its reports to council when in the past they had been submitted to the city’s former redevelopment agency.

“Until the state tells us to move the Alex Theatre to its successor agency, it is still the city council’s responsibility,” said City Manager Scott Ochoa.

Najarian then delivered a brief statement on the danger the Alex Theatre’s future faces in the wake of the end of redevelopment.

“Redevelopment has been vaporized. [The state] is going to take over the Alex Theatre and we’re fighting to maintain control over it. But it’s something the successor agency may be forced to actually sell. We’re all fighting very hard to stop that from occurring. But it’s a real threat to the vibrancy of our downtown. We have great cultural events, musical events, entertainment – and it might not be ours much longer.”

Concern over the Alex Theatre has been growing since the end of redevelopment was called by Gov. Edmund G. Brown late last year. The Alex Theatre had been one of Glendale’s showcase successes for its redevelopment agency.

Especially distressing for fans of the theatre, which has been a Glendale landmark since its construction in 1925, is the possibility of it being sold to a private entity.

“What we’re working on is that there is a transfer of ownership from the state to the city,” said Glickman in an interview earlier this year. “We’ve spoken to Assemblymember Mike Gatto and State Senator Carol Liu about this and they’re sympathetic to our cause. So we hope to have the state’s ear on this matter.”

  Ted Ayala