"The city went into this eyes wide open, with the willingness to be the owner if no other party was able and willing to step up," says Henry. "I'd like to see the Senator back open regularly as quickly as possible."
But Kiefaber has said he doesn't trust the city to do what is best for the Senator, noting the fate of the Mayfair Theatre, which is owned by the city and sits vacant and neglected on Howard Street, its roof having collapsed years ago.
Kimberly Clark, executive director of the Baltimore Development Corp., says comparing the Senator's fate with the Mayfair's is comparing apples and oranges. "Our goals are much different for the Senator and the Mayfair. Our goal is for the Senator to remain open, to be a viable theater and be the anchor for the community."
Still, Kiefaber says he believes that city and development officials have long been trying to take the Senator from him, accusations he painstakingly details in an extended conversation with writer Laura Serena, who maintains the astrogirlguides site and lives near the theater.
And lately, Kiefaber has leveled particular criticism at Henry. He has even taken to posting on the theater's Web site and taking shots via the Senator's brightly illuminated marquee. "Councilman Henry won't meet with the community about the auction," the marquee read for several days this month.
Henry, however, counters that he has met with Kiefaber and with supporters of the theater (although not, he acknowledges, as often as they would like). He says he has also met with other groups and believes the auction, as well as the city's post-auction plans, are in the best interest of the Senator and the community.
"At the end of the day, this is not about Tom and anybody in particular, it's about the Senator Theatre," Henry says. "It isn't some grand conspiracy against Tom, it isn't any group of people meeting in rooms, scheming up ways to get control. It's about how do we preserve the theater for the next generation."
Auction
The auction is scheduled to take place at the Senator Theatre, 5904 York Road, at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
