The Senator Theatre stopped selling tickets Sunday night, as owner Tom Kiefaber unexpectedly closed the financially troubled movie house.
Kiefaber said a plan to preserve the building's interior, however well-intentioned, contributed to his decision to stop showing first-run films. The proposal, by the city's Commission for Historic and Architectural Preservation, would severely restrict any structural changes that could be made to the Senator's interior. In the long term, Kiefaber said yesterday, that would affect the building's value by limiting a prospective buyer's options. In the short term, he said, the move scared off an investor whose capital could have helped Kiefaber meet payroll for his 23-person staff.
"This is a very troubling development in the Senator's rich history," said Kiefaber, adding that he knew nothing officially about the proposal until notices were posted on the outside of the building late last week. "And it seems to be coming out of left field."
Kiefaber stands to lose his Sparks home if the foreclosure auction goes off as scheduled but does not raise enough money to pay the $900,000 owed to 1st Mariner Bank.
"Anything that would restrict the interest in bidding on the Senator is probably not good for the Senator's future and certainly not good for my family," he said of the commission's proposal.
Last week, 1st Mariner, which holds a mortgage on the property, announced that it would foreclose unless Kiefaber could bring his loan up to date.
Ed Hale, the bank's chairman and chief executive, told The Baltimore Sun last week that Kiefaber had not made a payment in months. A foreclosure auction has tentatively been scheduled for mid-April.
An open meeting on the Senator's fate was held at the theater last night, partly to rally support, partly so that supporters would be clear on what could happen to the theater. No definitive solution was reached.
More than 500 community members and civic leaders discussed the future of the historic theater. Kiefaber said last night that he is working on plans to show various films at the Senator this week, to give the community a chance to say goodbye for now. Although his association with the Senator might be ending, Kiefaber insisted that he is optimistic about the theater's ultimate fate.
"Make no mistake, the Senator will once again be showing movies, the Senator will once again be hosting concerts," he said. "That is clear in my mind."
