State Theatre

jimvid on March 20, 2011 at 5:55 am

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State Theatre finds buyer
Identity, planned use still not revealed.

Heidi Prescott
Market Basket
5:18 a.m. EDT, March 20, 2011

SOUTH BEND — What served as a landmark theater for decades, and is situated among downtown restaurants, stores and offices on Michigan Street, ended up unoccupied and in the hands of a bank.

Rather than announce movie showings or upcoming special events planned inside the historic building, the marquee outside the South Bend State Theatre has twice publicized public sales and auctions, attempting to create an interest from potential investors.

A recent February auction resulted in an undisclosed buyer signing a purchase agreement with Rose Acceptance Inc., a subsidiary of First National Bank of America. The company foreclosed on the State Theatre after a local group’s failed attempt in 2006 to turn the State Theatre into a Christian-focused cultural events center.

The theater had been listed for sale at $599,900.

“The transaction is not complete, but we’re moving toward a closing,” says Chris Patterson, real estate salesman at Rose Acceptance in East Lansing, Mich. “We’re excited for the buyer to take over possession and make it a thriving part of downtown South Bend.”

Possible plans for the State Theatre, which opened in 1921 as the Blackstone Theatre Vaudeville House, and contains bullet holes from a 1934 shootout between police and John Dillinger, whose gang robbed their last bank in that block, have not been disclosed.

But South Bend city officials reveal that the hopeful buyer has invested in a safety-and-systems study to be completed on the theater to ensure the neglected building meets various building department, fire inspection and other codes.

The study, which is currently under way, signals the strongest interest the city has seen from a potential buyer since the building went into foreclosure. But what could become of the structure remains unknown.

“The use of the building is up to the buyer. We do not have a say in the future potential use,” Patterson says.

“I do know the potential buyer will be eager to share with you what the future use will be when the time is right,” he adds. “The future owner wants the building to be a positive presence in the South Bend area.”

This sounds encouraging, especially seeing as South Bend will lose the College Football Hall of Fame to the north of the theater in the coming years and is searching for an adaptive reuse for that building, too.

The State Theatre purchase could be completed within a month or so, at which time area residents may know much more about its redevelopment and reincarnation, which city officials believe could involve a hybrid of an educational center during the day and theater concept at night.

In the daytime, a local college or university could use the theater space and stage for rehearsals or as an extension of its music school, department or program. And on weekend evenings, the State Theatre could turn into a brew-and-view concept, says Tamara Nicholl-Smith, director of downtown business recruitment, Downtown South Bend Inc.

A brew and view is a combination movie theatre-restaurant complex. Food and drink are offered at tables, as opposed to traditional theater seating, while the movie is showing. This concept has not only proven popular among movie-goers in cities across the country, including Chicago, but it also has been known to revitalize older buildings and shopping plazas.

Nicholl-Smith believes such uses could generate income with which the potential purchaser could invest in longer-term theater restorations.

The city has invested more than $250,000 toward the upkeep of the theater’s façade as well as improvements to the theater awnings, marquee and roof since the late 1990s. In addition, the Christian nonprofit, Way of Life, said it raised more than $250,000 that was invested in the building before the economic downturn that ultimately led to the bank foreclosure.

“It’s a fact that buildings that are in use and are used by people don’t decay as quickly as buildings that are empty,” Nicholl-Smith says. “So even if someone purchased the State Theatre and couldn’t do a big restoration right away, they could do enough to get in the door and use a percentage of the income generated to renovate piece by piece.”

Opening the doors is the important thing here.

And if this particular purchase agreement or deal does not happen, she is hoping for a community discussion about the theater’s future.

“There ought to be a roundtable, an exploratory roundtable with anyone who has ever been interested in owning or being part of the theater,” said Nicholl-Smith. “Communities have been known to rescue their theaters.

“There are those people in South Bend who fondly remember being in the State Theatre and would love to see it come back to life,” Nicholl-Smith says, “and others have never been inside and want to see it. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the building and doesn’t want to go in. It’s beautiful and historic and harkening a grand era.”

sam siklas on November 28, 2011 at 8:49 pm

The State could make a great home for a theater organ. I believe the stage are would be large enough to accommodate such a unit. I am not sure if there are organ vaults in place, but if so, that much the better. I am thinking along the lines of the Senate theater in Detroit, home to the Fisher theater’s one of a kind Wurlitzer. After being in use in recent years, the State is at least in fair shape.

sam siklas on January 13, 2012 at 9:15 pm

Oops . I just remembered this! :–)I had visited my mom in a nursing home recently, then went to lunch. I ran into two of her cousins, who also had just been there just before me. One of them recalled being a girl of 15, during WWII, and taking the bus from her small town to South Bend, where they went to the State. While they were in the theatre, they heard a bunch of noise outside the theater. They eventually went outside to see what the noise was. There were hundreds and hundreds of people all up and down Michigan st, cheering and holding up signs— WWII had ended!! They thought they might miss the bus home, but her aunt found her in the crowd, and they stayed there for the celebration in front of the State! She ended up getting a hugs ( and some kisses too!) from quite a few servicemen in uniform! She said that is one memory she will never forget of the State theater!

sam siklas on March 29, 2012 at 9:48 pm

WNDU ch 16 in South Bend reported today that the State theater owners are going to have a contest to decide what they will do with the landmark theater. You can view the report on WNDU.com Perhaps they might include a theater organ?? (hint!) :–) == Sam ==

coolate on October 8, 2012 at 12:46 pm

New owner, and plans are explained on here, I am trying to help them out, so fingers crossed. http://www.thestatesb.com/