Colonial to carry Engler name

LACONIA — The City Council on Monday formally recognized the efforts of former mayor Ed Engler — whose patience and resolve turned the dream of restoring the Colonial Theatre into a reality — by naming the theater’s auditorium in his honor.

The announcement came at the outset of the City Council meeting as Mayor Andrew Hosmer read a proclamation stating that the 750-seat venue would be called the Edward J. Engler Auditorium.

Engler, who was invited to the meeting on a ruse, stood stunned as the proclamation was read in front of the full council, three former mayors — Michael Seymour, Matt Lahey, and Rod Dyer — and other city leaders, as well as many who have played roles in the multimillion-dollar project.

Engler was further surprised by the presence of his son and daughter, who had flown in from their homes out West to attend the event.

“I don’t know what to say. I am so thankful,” Engler said. “I am so grateful to count all of you as friends. Thank you very much.”

“Ed has been tireless, and his conviction [in the project] is deep, and his love of the place is deep,” said Gary Groleau, chairman of the Colonial Oversight Committee. “No one is more deserving of the honor.”

The project to restore the Colonial was announced almost five years ago when the city, in partnership with the Belknap Economic Development Council, committed itself to arranging a $15 million financial package to renovate the 114-year-old theater along with the commercial and residential units that are part of the complex at 609-621 Main St.

The initial plan called for the city to loan the BEDC $1.4 million to purchase the building, with $4.8 million of the $15 million project expected to come from New Market Tax Credits. When that funding failed to materialize, the council ultimately voted to bond $6.7 million for the project, bringing the city’s financial commitment to $8.1 million.

City Councilor Bob Hamel, whose tenure included Engler’s three terms as mayor, said the project would not have gotten off the ground without Engler’s “tenacity and dedication.”

In an interview in January, Engler said the city’s decision to help fund the project was what made this effort succeed where earlier ones had failed.

Others said Engler’s outlook and abilities were also crucial to the success.

“I believe this project would have stalled, but for his efforts,” Mayor Andrew Hosmer said. “Naming the Colonial Theatre auditorium the Edward J. Engler Auditorium  ensures that his name will be associated with one of Laconia’s most ambitious civic endeavors. I’m thrilled that the City Council has chosen to honor Mayor Engler in this manner. I have no doubt that every time I enter the Colonial Theatre, I’ll be reminded of Ed’s perseverance and vision.” 

Groleau likewise said that, when the tax credits failed to materialize, the hopes of saving the Colonial were “on the brink of going into the ashes.”

He said Engler never lost faith in the project and what it could do for the city. “He’s a long-term thinker and very strategic, and he has an incredible amount of patience,” he said. Also importantly, “he’s naturally enthusiastic.”

City Manager Scott Myers concurred.

“Ed believed that, if Laconia is looking for this [to happen], we have to believe in ourselves,” he said.

The determination to hold the project to the highest standards was also critical, in Myers’ opinion.

“He was a strong proponent that, if we’re going to do it, we need to do it right,”  he said. “We’re not going to cheapen it. It must have wow factor.”

Like others, BEDC Executive Director Justin Slattery has admired Engler’s perseverance.

“I have enjoyed working with Mayor Engler on the Colonial Theatre development project and respect his determination and commitment to get the project completed,” he said.

In its early years, the Colonial brought in vaudeville acts and other live performances. When full-length talking pictures became common in the early 1930s, the Colonial became a movie theater and continued to operate as a traditional single-screen cinema until the mid-1980s, when the owners subdivided the auditorium and stage area into a five-screen multiplex. The theater went dark in 2001.

Now the hope is that the revitalization of the Colonial spur a downtown renaissance.

“This will anchor downtown,” Groleau said, “and lead to a resurgence there.”

To contact Michael Mortensen, email mike@

laconiadailysun.com.