We now have an answer we've been waiting for: Officials will go ahead with the construction of two parts of Ren Square - the transit center and the MCC facility. If money can be raised for a theater, we'll get one. If not....

Senator Chuck Schumer joined County Exec Maggie Brooks for that announcement this afternoon. In many respects, their news was no surprise. Despite some critics' concern about the transit center, officials had secured the money to build both that facility and the MCC campus. The only piece in doubt was the theater - and it's still in doubt.

However, Ren Square officials say that they can take as long as three years to start work on the theater and still meet federal requirements for Ren Square's substantial federal funding. In other words, they can take as long as three years to raise the $15 million or so the theater needs.

If you're in favor of the theater, sooner is better than later for a construction start, obviously. Construction costs will increase. And the buzz about the project will wear off.

And so for Ren Square critics (myself included), a question that I raised some months back: Would we rather have the project with a theater? Or just the transit center and MCC?