It will take about $1 million to buy this wonderful, unique historic theatre with a national and international reputation at the city's foreclosure auction on July 21, 2009, as reported in the Baltimore Sun.
July 21, 2009. If you love historic theatres and want to take good care of our beloved Senator (and if you have that $1 million), be there.
There's been a lot of controversy here in Baltimore over the fate of The Senator Theatre, where the Baltimore City government is trying to force out the owner whose family built the theatre and whose family has run it for the past 70 years.
Here are a couple of clips from a recent heated community meeting at the theatre:
If you want to keep up with the latest Senator Theatre news, try one of the following sites...
My blog: http://www.astrogirlguides.com
Friends of The Senator Theatre: http://friendsofthesenatortheatre.wordpress.com
The Senator's official site: http://www.senator.com
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Comments: 5
what a shame....I hope they manage to save it!
Thanks for the information.
I hope all the celebrities show up and start the bidding and get it over a million dollars. Then, give it back to the original owner. Now, that will be a big miracle!
thanks for the info
Thanks, folks.
I feel like I should really clarify a few things that come up in those videos I posted.
The talk about CHAP refers to the city's interior landmark designation on the building, which limits what can be done with the interior. This should not present a problem for a new owner who wants to preserve the building and use it as a theatre. However, as current owner Tom Kiefaber points out in the videos, the specter of government interference in their business has scared off a few interested parties.
Tom, the current owner, does not want to continue to own the building. He has been trying to convert it to a non-profit for a few years now. The ideal outcome for the theatre is for someone to buy it at auction and turn it over to a non-profit, which would then be responsible for maintaining and restoring the building. This is what we all had hoped Baltimore City would work with us on, but the city government has been in such a big rush to oust the owner and do whatever it is they plan to do (there are many indications of a hidden agenda), that they have not been willing to engage in productive discussions with the community about finding the right solution. As a result, we are now hoping that publication of the upcoming auction will interest a bidder who is interested in preservation and will do the right thing with the theatre.
I have been one of a core group of volunteers who are now working at the theatre to keep it open and operating during the interim.