Clark County theaters in limbo after glitch delays applications for federal grant
Published: April 23, 2021, 6:03am
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A pair of moviegoers wait for their concessions on Wednesday at Battle Ground Cinema. The multiplex was one of a handful of local theaters that reopened earlier this month. (Joshua Hart/The Columbian)
April 8 was supposed to be the big day. After three months of waiting, stage and screen venue operators were finally going to get their chance to apply for Shuttered Venue Operator grants, a major federal lifeline for one of the hardest-hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephen Pick of Vancouver-based Journey Theater was ready to go that morning, with all of the company’s supplemental documentation lined up. But when he went to the application portal on the U.S. Small Business Administration website, he found that something had gone wrong.