The owners of the
Senator Theatre will wrap up its $3 million restoration this spring and expect the historic North Baltimore landmark to open at the end of May after a year of closure.
The once aging, single-screen theater will open with four screens and a 50- to 75-seat wine bar, says Co-owner Kathleen Cusack.
The yearlong renovation includes
restoring the murals, installing new seats and getting a new chandelier for the 74-year-old Art Deco-style theater. Kathleen and her father James “Buzz” Cusack spent $1 million on the repairs, while the remaining money for the restoration came from a bank loan and city and state money.
“We’ve been working on this project since 2009 and it’s been a very labor intensive process. We’re happy to see things finally moving along,” Cusack says.
The theater will show mostly big Hollywood productions when it opens and house a total of 1,080 seats. The main auditorium will hold 770 while the other three will contain 150, 85 and 75 seats.
Baltmore City bought the theater three years ago for $810,000 after it went into foreclosure. It
sold it to the Cusacks in September at a $310,000 loss.
The Cusacks operate the Station North Arts & Entertainment District’s
Charles Theater, which shows mostly independent movies.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kathleen Cusack