SENATOR Theatre RFP: CHAP Hearing on August 10

Friends of The Senator (FOTS) has been alerted to a hearing called by Baltimore City’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) that will review the plans proposed by James “Buzz” Cusack (who rents & operator The Charles Theatre) and his daughter, Kathleen Cusack for renovations intended for the historic Senator Theatre.

Details from the August 10 Agenda via the CHAP web site:

3:00 PM Senator Theatre

(Baltimore City Landmark-Exterior)
(Baltimore City Landmark -Interior pending)
(CHAP Special List-Interior)
Plan: Rehabilitation of exterior and interior-Concept.
City of Baltimore, Owner.
The Senator Theatre, LLC. (James Cusack and Kathleen Cusack, principals), Lessee.

Eddie Leon, Staff Presenter.
The hearing will be held in the Phoebe Stanton Conference Room of the Department of Planning, 8th Floor, 417 E. Fayette Street.

We’re informed that anyone can view the plans in advance by making an appointment with the CHAP office.
(410) 396-4866
(410) 396-PLAN (7526)
Fax: (410) 396-5662

FOTS strongly encourages anyone concerned with the future of the theatre, particularly the planned renovations, to attend this hearing if possible.

SENATOR Theatre: FREE Farewell to Kiefaber screenings of rare STAR WARS (1977) print on July 21

“This is it!” – Red Leader, Star Wars

STAR WARS Style A half-sheet by Tom Jung (1977)

The Force Is With Them!

Baltimore’s Senator Theatre Ends 71 Years of Continuous
Family Ownership and Operation.

“Friends of The Senator” Express A New Hope for a Rapid Reopening

Baltimore, MD
July 21, 2010

The Friends of The Senator (FOTS) theatre advocacy group announced today
that Wednesday 7/21 marks the final day of operation for Baltimore’s historic
Senator Theatre. The shutdown date was designated by Baltimore’s City Hall.
Instructions are to cease operations, and for the theatre’s ex-owner to remove
all personal items. Baltimore City took ownership of the renowned, single screen
Art Deco landmark at a foreclosure auction in July of 2009.

For the final evening of operation, the FOTS are encouraging patrons to join
us for a gathering of The Senator’s extended family, including long time
manager Gayle Grove and The Senator’s popular border collie staff, Natty Boh
and Nipper.

The evening will feature two free celebratory screenings of a rare 1977 British
I.B. Technicolor print of “Star Wars: A New Hope” from a private collection.
Free screenings of the two hour feature will be at 4:30 pm and 8:00 pm. Doors
open at 4:00 pm for the 4:30 show.

“We wanted to do something really special for the last film to be shown at
The Senator, to honor Tom Kiefaber and his family, as well as The Senator’s
long term staff,” said FOTS President Tom Harris, who has camped on the
sidewalk at The Senator for past Star Wars midnight openings with his family.
“A film collector approached us about this rare original release print of Star
Wars, and the film is such a touchstone for so many of us, we went for it.”

“This is where I came in,” said Tom Kiefaber, in reference to Star Wars in 1977.
“I grew up in The Senator, and I officially joined the family business in 1977, just
as Star Wars was about to change the film industry forever. The saying ‘this
is where I came in’ comes from my youth, when the theatres ran short subjects,
newsreels, and features continuously. We would often arrive in the middle of a
show and stay until it was starting the repeat, noting this is where I came in.”
Also popular in those days were the weekly “cliffhanger” serials where a
young George Lucas found inspiration for “Star Wars.”

“With The Senator going dark for an indefinite time, we all feel a great
disturbance in the Force,” said FOTS Managing Director Laura Perkins.
“Kathleen Cusack from the new management team predicts The Senator may
only stay dark a few days, and we hope the Cusack team understands
the importance of the theatre to this community and reopens The Senator as
quickly as possible.”

“We have many concerns about what’s in store for The Senator, particularly
plans to demolish original features that define the character of the building’s
interior,” noted Kiefaber, “but we have no choice but to accept as graciously
as possible that the force is with them.”

* * *

Senator Theatre RFP: Kiefaber defies hush clause. Joins FOTS in “BDC is rife with fraud & collusion”

Fraud, Collusion, Deceit

Former Senator Theatre owner Tom Kiefaber defies City Hall’s hush clause

Joins Friends of The Senator to declare BDC is rife with fraud and collusion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Baltimore, MD
July 16th, 2010

Friends of The Senator (FOTS) announced today that the 2100+ member advocacy group has denounced the Baltimore Development Corporation’s (BDC) manipulation of The Senator Theatre’s acquisition at auction on behalf of the City, and its subsequent RFP plan for the Senator Theatre, as a corrupt process rife throughout with collusion, fraud, and deceit.

The advocacy group has repeatedly implored Mayor Rawlings-Blake to investigate the allegations, based on the results of the FOTS investigative research, provided to her and her staff…

Complete text at http://www.thepeoplestheatre.us/news.html

SENATOR Theatre RFP: If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention!

Friends of The Senator and Citizens of Baltimore,

The bottom line in this, folks, is to help you understand that the city may take a considerable amount of your tax dollars and hand it to private business to use in a failed business model.

Does that sound like a “Get In On It” deal?

If that doesn’t make you angry right off, read on because you should know about a situation where Baltimore City government may approve a plan presented by the BDC that gives nearly three-quarters of a $1 million to a private business and the keys to the historic Senator Theatre for a $1 per year lease.

Sounds like a bad joke, doesn’t it?… Especially in these times, but it is not!

Taxpayers in a city facing proposed cuts to essential and emergency services expected to write checks amounting to $700,000 to the private business owners of The Charles Theatre.

1. $100,000 grant – money that will never be repaid to the city coffers
2. $600,000 loan (2% for 20 yrs)

We’re talking about an historic landmark in which the city already has invested approximately $1 million!

Think about it. They’re proposing going further into the hole, with taxpayer dollars, heading toward the $2 million mark in hopes the Cusacks can make the theatre viable and self-sustaining…

AND, considering the city will remain the landord, the building will be off the tax rolls and the city coffers will only get a cut IF the theatre is able to generate over $2 million per year – and even at that only 5%.

“In our dreams we would like to see that, but I don’t think we put much weight in that” coming to fruition, [Debra] Devan said.” (BDC Board Member in Balto. Sun)

Some of you are thinking, “Okay, well maybe they can pull it off, The Charles shows cool things and the owner has good industry connections”, consider the following:

• The proposed bold, new revenue-generating format?… Not the art or classic films fans of The Charles know and love, but a continuation of 1st-run blockbuster features (Just like former-owner Tom Kiefaber used to do! You remember him – the guy who always got criticized for this?)
  Can we see a show of hands that believe this will draw any more people this time around?…
  And let’s be clear here, those of you who WANT 1st-run pictures back at The Senator, put your hands down. We count ourselves among those who miss 1st run films at The Senator, but this is about viability, people!
• The man behind the plan doesn’t even sound very confident about the venture
  “Maybe it doesn’t work.” – James “Buzz” Cusack, Charles Theatre owner in MD Daily Record
• Perhaps there are reasons for that
  • At the Senator RFP Public Meeting last fall an attendee asked Cusack if he could cite anyplace else in the country where his plan has worked. His response? “No.”
  • At the same meeting another asked, given the fact that the majority of historic redevelopment experts state the best chance of survival of theatres like The Senator are for them to become multipurpose arts, education & entertainment venues owned by non-profits, why he thought his plan would work – the response was, “I don’t know”.
  • Clearance. Something that, particularly independent theatre owners, have had to deal with quite some time.
    When a film Cusack has at The Senator has declining ticket sales he can be blocked from moving it down to The Charles by the Landmark Theatres downtown, because of their proximity. This means the movie is stuck at The Senator and the owner loses considerable money without a fresh attraction.

If handing over all that public money to a business that is likely not to succeed hasn’t already teed you off, consider the fact that the plan also includes demolition of portions of the walls of the iconic circular outer lobby and the mens’ and ladies’ lounges and restrooms? These are distinct historical/architectural features Cusack proposes to destroy in the city’s $1 million – $1.7 million investment… Mr. Cusack sits on the board of the city’s Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation. Ironic, isn’t it?

We strongly encourage you to let Mayor Rawlings-Blake (or use our letter), Comptroller Joan Pratt and the Board of Estimates know how you feel on this issue!

Competitors for The SENATOR Theatre Narrows To Two

Both Investigative Voice and WBAL Radio are reporting that both the J.R. Owens and Noch-Noch Productions proposals have been eliminated from consideration in the Baltimore Development Corporation’s (BDC) RFP process that will decide the next owner of The SENATOR.

Investigative Voice quotes their source as District 4 Councilman Bill Henry, while WBAL interviewed BDC President M.J. “Jay” Brodie.

• Radio Station or Restuarant – The Senator Theatre prepares to meet its fate by Alan Z. Forman – Investigative Voice… Be sure to read the comments, folks.
• Two Proposals Dropped From Senator Theatre Redevelopment by John Patti – WBAL
  Page includes an audio interview with Mr. Brodie.

Many who attended the BDC’s Public Meeting earlier this month are probably not surprised at these developments. Given reactions to the presentations the general sense was that the competition would come down to the Cusack’s Senator Theatre, LLC and WTMD/Towson University’s WTMD @ The Senator proposals.

And yet, as it has been pointed out, while they were the most comprehensive presentations there were many questions including why the Cusacks feel so adamant that The Senator could survive returning to first run movies when, for years, many have pointed out to former owner Tom Kiefaber that the era of single screen movie houses is long past. Many of us long for those days, but agree that it is no longer financially feasible.

Crepe shop, restaurant or not, the track record of historical theatres in the US shows that unless you have a large corporation behind you (like with the Uptown in DC) the best chance of survival is to be turned over to a non-profit.

While WTMD offers non-profit ownership (and therefore various funding sources not available to privately owned businesses) many feel it still needs to show it will have the staff capable of running and maintaining the theatre, as well as pull off their multi-purpose venue style proposal. And yes, while FoTS feels WTMD is the best fit for the future of The Senator we agree these points must be demonstrated.

And, both parties still have questions to be answered when it comes to suggested renovations to the historic building itself.

All these questions and more we understand were recently submitted to the BDC, by the appointed Advisory Panel, to be forwarded to the two remaining bidders. While the deadline for the Cusacks and WTMD to respond is not publicly known, given the comment by Mr. Brodie that a decision could be reached by February 10, it follows that said deadline would be several days prior to that.

SENATOR Theatre RFP: BDC Advisory Panel Requires Additional Meeting

The BDC Advisory Panel did meet yesterday, just a day after the public meeting, but apparently at least one more meeting will be necessary before their recommendation to the BDC board can be made.

While it is true that we (FoTS) have a member representing us on the panel, Laura Perkins, confidentiality rules have restricted what she can tell even us!

What she could say is that:

• No decision could be made as to which of the 4 proposal plans the panel should be recommend to the BDC
• At least one more meeting will be needed. The date is not yet known.
• Questions, comments & opinions can, therefore, still be submitted, but should be done ASAP

So, keep using the list of Advisory Panel members we posted yesterday to keep your communications flowing to the people that best represent your feelings, community, etc.!

We favor the WTMD/Towson University plan. It includes the community-based, multipurpose arts, education & entertainment programming and non-profit ownership we’ve been advocating for over a year now. That said, we’d feel more comfortable if they could say they have historic theatre experts at the ready to assist with their planned “historically sensitive renovations”.

The plan presented by the Cuzacks (known for The Charles Theatre) is closest to what The Senator was and we wish it could always be, but we believe trying to keep it as a 1st run movie house (you heard right, they do not plan to make The Senator another “art film” house)  is no longer a viable business model for the last historic single-screen theatre in Baltimore. And, adding a couple of eateries, we don’t believe, can make up for that or regain droves of customers (There are plenty of great eateries within yards of The Senator already).

The record of successful, surviving historic theatres in the US shows the best model (if not backed by a major theatre chain) is like that presented by WTMD/TU.

SENATOR Theatre RFP: Cusack Plan Would Alter Auditorium?

For your consideration: The following information from yesterday’s MD Daily Record article.

The owners of the five-screen Charles Theatre would keep the Senator a movie theater… and potentially add a smaller auditorium.

“When you have another screen, you have more flexibility,” Kathleen Cusack said. “If you have a second screen and you have a movie that isn’t making a lot of money, you can move it there and put something else on the main screen.”

If the Cusacks add a 120-seat theater to the Senator, the main auditorium would shrink from 940 seats to 760. Cusack said the smaller theater could be used as an arts education area.

It was our understanding that the interior spaces, including The Senator auditorium, were now under the ‘protection’ of Baltimore City’s Commisson for Historical & Architectural Preservation (CHAP) Landmark and Special Designation Lists.

So, we have to wonder how could the BDC reconcile James “Buzz” Cusack’s plan with CHAP’s intent to protect the interior beyond “normal maintenance”?

For that matter, given Mr. Cusack himself is a CHAP member, why would he even suggest such a move?

From a historical standpoint (one which we share), subdividing the auditorium is unthinkable and therefore a plan we could not support.