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City says Senator Theatre must go dark, Wed. July 21
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
July 16, 2010 at 3:39 pm
BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore Mayor’s office announced yesterday that the Senator Theatre will go dark on July 21st. The announcement is a partial response to rising concerns of North Baltimore business owners, residents, and the 2100+ member “Friends of The Senator” theatre advocacy group, regarding the uncertain fate of The Senator Theatre, an iconic, nationally renowned landmark showplace that has entertained and served the North Baltimore community continuously since 1939…
“I am sure the theater will go dark until Mr. Cusack is ready to move forward and negotiations have been completed. Mr. Kiefaber [the Senator’s former owner] is to cease all operations on the 21st under any circumstance,” declared the Deputy Mayor in a July 15th email to Friends of The Senator (FOTS) leaders.
The Senator Theatre was acquired in July of 2009 by Baltimore City, through a polarizing auction process, triggered by the city during the administration of former Mayor Sheila Dixon, under recommendation by the BDC.
The FOTS question the reason for the theatre suddenly going dark, well before Mr. Cusack’s specific plans for the National Register of Historic Places landmark have been finalized.
Read more in the PR Newswire.
Tom Harris
Friends of The SENATOR
Comments (5)
I find it simply deplorable how the City has treated this theatre – the continual attitude and completely baffling actions (like this) is beyond embarrassing, it’s pathetic
Mr. Kiefaber weighs in on the situation: View link
With all due respect to Mr. Kiefaber and the Friends of the Senator, but if Mr. Kiefaber has indeed “struggled for a decade” to keep the Senator afloat, as the article linked above states, maybe it is time to let someone else take a stab at running the place. Or to use the Senator as an anchor for an Arclight Hollywood-type complex, which helped revitalize the Cinerama Dome.
I doubt an Arclight-type complex at the Senator would help. You’ve got the Charles and its six screens not too far away and the Rotunda’s two, with a third on the way. There would be too much competition, unless the Senator does more live and unique programming as opposed to movies all the time.
With Wednesday’s “last day” coming up, even though I’m not an Eclipse fan, I may plan a trip up just in case its the last time I see the venue in one complete piece.
The Rotunda’s operator now wants to be considered as the operator of the Senator: View link