Donation to pay for new theater seats in Grosse Pointe Park

GROSSE POINTE PARK — One of Grosse Pointe Park’s generous residents has stepped up again to help his community.

Paul Schaap is giving the city $65,000 to replace the Schaap Theater seats at Windmill Pointe Park. The theater — one of two movie theaters inside the Lavins Activity Center, where it’s joined by the Okulski Family Theater — was named the Carol C. Schaap Theater after Paul Schaap’s wife. City Manager Nick Sizeland said Paul Schaap is donating funds to replace the seats in his wife’s honor; she died last year.

“He feels truly that he wanted to do this in the memory of Carol,” Sizeland told the Park City Council at a meeting Sept. 9.

The council voted unanimously to accept the gift. They also voted unanimously to amend the budget to reflect Schaap’s contribution.

“I’m always blown away by the incredible philanthropic (nature) of the community,” City Councilman Max Wiener said, thanking Schaap for this latest donation.

Mayor Michele Hodges concurred.

“We’re truly in partnership with the community,” Hodges said. “The theater is a great asset.”

Sizeland said the upholstery on the seats “is starting to show wear and tear,” which is why they feel they should be replaced now.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Paul Schaap and his donation,” City Councilman Brent Dreaver said. “I’m just blown away.”

However, Dreaver said the city needs to plan financially for replacements like this in the future. While in this case a resident and philanthropist stepped up to play for this expenditure, Dreaver said the city can’t budget with the expectation that donors will continue to pay for updates to projects they’ve funded initially.

“These (seats) have been deteriorating for a while,” Dreaver said. “They have a life expectancy.”

City Councilman Thomas Caulfield agreed, saying that’s why the city started its capital improvement plan a few years ago, to be better prepared for these costs when they arise.

The Schaaps moved to Grosse Pointe Park in 1990. The Carol C. Schaap Theater opened in June 2015. Carol Schaap died Aug. 4, 2023, at her home in the Park. She was 85. She and her husband — who created the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation for philanthropic efforts including scholarships — were married for 47 years.