Cusacks to Announce Oct 15 Reopening for SENATOR Theatre

According to Michael Sragow, “Buzz” and daughter Kathleen Cusack will announce that Friday, October 15th as the day The Senator Theatre will reopen as a first run movie house.

The announcement is to come as part of a public “Progress Meeting”, as stated in the theatre’s marquee, slated to begin at 6:30pm. It’s also expected they will name the feature that returning Senator projectionist Bill Hewitt will exhibit to hail the reopening.

“We welcome anyone with any interest in the theater to join in our excitement as we prepare to reopen.”
-Kathleen Cusack

You can read Mr. Sragow’s full post here.

SENATOR Theatre RFP: Public Meeting on Jan 5

UPDATED: December 14, 2009 (E-mail text from Kristen Mitchell of the BDC – below)

We’ve had word from the BDC and Tom Kiefaber (who has continued to present programming at The Senator, at the request of city government while the RFP process plays out) that a public meeting to present and discuss the four SENATOR proposals, will be held the evening of January 5, 2010.

The time has not yet been nailed down, so we’ll update everyone when we know for sure.

We expect there will be representatives of each proposal on hand and hope folks will have an opportunity to present questions.

We encourage everyone concerned to mark your calendars now and clear that evening!

Developing…

In the meantime,
don’t forget to spread the word about the
holiday events taking place this weekend
and next – including the 19th Annual Food Drive!

===   12-14-2009 UPDATE   ===

Senator Theatre

Public Meeting

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

6:30 p.m.

Senator Theatre

5904 York Road

Baltimore, MD 21212

The purpose of this meeting is to give the public the opportunity to hear from the groups which responded to the Senator Theatre Request for Proposals (RFP).   If you have any questions regarding this meeting, contact Kristen Mitchell at the Baltimore Development Corporation at 410-779-3837 or kmitchell@baltimoredevelopment.com.

Kristen Mitchell

Senior Economic Development Officer

Commercial Revitalization

Baltimore Development Corporation

36 S. Charles Street, Suite 1600

Baltimore, MD 21201-3015

kmitchell@baltimoredevelopment.com

Phone: 410-837-9305

Direct: 410-779-3837

Fax: 410-837-6363

http://www.baltimoredevelopment.com

SENATOR RFP Pre-Proposal Conference: Groups Interested Gather for Meeting

Updated: Oct 6, 4:45pm – Attendees list

Yesterday, on the 70th anniversary of the opening of The Senator Theatre, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) held their scheduled pre-proposal meeting for parties that had registered their interest in the Request For Proposal (RFP) process. One of these (or a conglomeration) may ultimately become the next owner or leaser (with Baltimore City as the landlord) of the historic 1939 theatre.

We are aware of at least a dozen groups that were represented.
Locals:

• AB Associates
• Belvedere Improvement Association (BIA)
• The Charles Theater
• Charm City Enrichment
• Conits Group, Inc.
• GWWO, Inc.
• Herndon Contracting, Inc
• James Posey Associates
• The Music Workshop
• Noch – Noch, Productions
• Personal Electric, LLC
• Rita St Clair Associates, Inc.
• SCT (Senator Community Trust)
• SRI (Site Resources, Inc)
• UCAM (United Community Access Media)
• Urban Information Associates
• WEI (Worcester Eisenbrandt, Inc.)
• WTMD 89.7FM (Towson University)
• Ziger / Snead LLP

Out of state groups:

• John Milner Associates (PA & VA)
• Majestic Star Entertainment (NJ)

It should be noted that absence of a group from yesterday’s meeting does not preclude them from submitting a proposal. The occasion created a forum in which the BDC could deliver a briefing and allow groups to pose questions about the process and tour the theatre.

Said questions we were told were being recorded and would be disseminated, with answers, on the BDC website by October 13, 2009. We’ll include a link here when the page becomes available.

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank:

• Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway for attending and posing some important questions regarding timing and community involvement when proposals are to be evaluated.
• Eddie Leon of the Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation (CHAP) for clarifying the situation regarding interior designation proposal approved by the CHAP commission back in May. Said proposals still have to gain approval during public meetings of the Baltimore City Planning Commission and then City Council before coming into effect. Mr. Leon stated that this could perhaps be completed by spring 2010.
• Kristen Mitchell and Kim Clarke of the BDC for taking the time to present this opportunity, answer questions and for the refreshments.
• Tom Kiefaber for providing access to this great facility for the event & to his family’s 70 years of unbroken presentation excellence.
• Gayle Grove for the Senator Theatre 70th anniversary cake (sorry the camera phone didn’t do it justice).

Senator Theatre RFP Pre-Proposal Meeting: Doors Open @ 9AM

UPDATE (Oct 1): Early morning style refreshments will be provided.
So, come early, tour the building, have a bit of a nosh and meet other parties interested in the future of The Senator!

This just in from the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC):

I wanted to let you know that we plan to open the doors to the Senator
at 9:00 a.m. on October 5, though the meeting still won’t start until
10. We thought that it was important to give people the opportunity to
look around the building, and to network with others who are also
interested in the RFP process.

Kristen Mitchell
Senior Economic Development Officer
Commercial Revitalization
Baltimore Development Corporation
410-837-9305

Parties interested in submitting proposals should RSVP to the BDC by this Friday (October 2).

Any further updates on the Pre-proposal Conference will be posted here.

BDC Issues Request For Proposals (RFP)

Updated (Sept. 24, 2009) – More links (scroll to bottom)

Senator Theatre RFP cover sheet

The Baltimore Development Corporation has officially issued a Request For Proposals for the purchase or lease of the historic Senator Theatre today, on behalf of Baltimore City.

Announcement excerpt

The goals of BDC in offering this RFP include, but are not limited to, the following:

A) Solicit a respondent who will purchase or lease the Senator for use primarily as a movie theater and/or performing arts venue, though additional uses are also welcome
B) Maintain a schedule of events which keeps the Senator active throughout the week
C) Reinforce the mutually beneficial relationship between the Senator, Belvedere Square, surrounding communities, and the Govanstowne business district by serving as a positive economic generator for the area
D) Respect and capitalize on the building’s rich history
E) Complement and maintain the property’s unique historic interior and exterior features
F) Achieve the highest quality of architectural and interior design
G) Renovate the Senator to ensure the comfort and safety of patrons and employees enhance patrons’ experience and incorporate the services, amenities, and support facilities necessary to attract and accommodate a range of events and patrons (per event)
H) Achieve positive impact for the City including quality jobs increased tax revenues community stabilization opportunities for minority and women owned businesses and contribution to the City’s long term economic growth objectives and
I) Create a primarily privately-funded project with minimal public sector financial support.

The RFP document can be downloaded from the BDC’s web site at: http://www.baltimoredevelopment.com/proposals.aspx

A “pre-proposal conference” is scheduled to be held:
Monday, October 5, 2009 @ 10AM
The Senator Theatre
Notification of attendance required
[note: we asked for clarification regarding who can attend. Kristen Mitchell (BDC Senior Economic Officer) responded quite promptly:
“The October 5 meeting is open to anyone who is interested in submitting a response to the RFP.”]

Additional information and/or notice of intention to attend the Oct. 5 conference:
Kristen Mitchell
BDC Senior Economic Development Officer
410-837-9305

LINKS:

• WBAL: Proposals Accepted For Senator Theatre & interview audio with Kim Clark (Executive Vice President of the BDC) by Anne Kramer
• Baltimore Sun: City seeks proposals for using Senator Theatre by Lorraine Mirabella
  Excerpt: On Monday, [David] Cordish said in an e-mail that his company would not submit a bid, but would step in to help keep the theater going.
  “What we’ve said is that if the city is stuck, call us; we will form a nonprofit,” Cordish said.
• MD Daily Record:  City seeks buyer to run Senator Theatre by Robbie Whelan
• City Sets Guidelines for Senator Theatre by Luke Broadwater
• BDC Seeks Senator Theatre Encore by Daniel J. Sernovitz
• City Seeks Someone To Run Historic Movie House – WJZ TV (Maryland AP news)

O’Malley Passes the buck, as does DBED, etc.

While we’re on the subject of politicians and what appears to be their, “I don’t want to get involved” stance on The Senator’s situation, let me share another response. This one from Maryland’s top executive… Or rather, should have been.

Maryland Governor (& former Baltimore Mayor) Martin O'Malley

I wrote a letter to Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley regarding The Senator and asked for his aid in helping the “community-owned non-profit, multi-purpose entertainment & educational” vision move forward.

One would think that the former mayor of Baltimore City, home of The Senator Theatre, would be more than willing to step up and at least vocalize support for the theatre and all the good it has done for community and business in the area.

Especially when the area includes Belvedere Square, a an area across the street from the theatre that stood dormant for more than a decade and O’Malley himself called, “a stark symbol of decline”.

An area that was revitalized with city and state funding that Mayor O’Malley backed (with urging from the community, including Senator staff) and even got in a bit of hot water trying to convince citizens to patronize.

Christian Johansson, Secretary, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development

Instead, what I received was a letter from Christian Johansson, the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Business & Economic Development (DBED), in which I am thanked for contacting the governor and am told what an iconic treasure The Senator is.

Hannah Bryon, Assistant Secretary; Tourism, Film & the Arts

I am then referred to a Ms. Hannah Byron of the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, who is representing DBED on Mayor Sheila Dixon’s steering committee that is charged with determining the viability of the theatre as a non-profit.

Okay, so I send a series of questions to Ms. Byron via email and shortly receive a response!

I am forwarding your questions to Bill Henry.

That’s it.

Bill Henry, Balto. City District 4 Councilman

I’m not kidding here. District 4 Councilman Bill Henry. The man who told supporters present at the March 16 Town Meeting (called by the SCT) to contact their state officials and ask why they haven’t gotten involved.

Well, Bill, I went “straight to the top” of Maryland state government and after one letter and one email I’ve been sent down the political sliding board, right back to you. Any other suggestions?

To other supporters: Have you received responses from state or local officials? If you have and you would like to share them with others, send them to me and I’ll post them on the Politician’s Responses to Senator Plight page. Or, if you’ve put them online already, just send me the link!