Sandusky State Theatre restoration moving forward

SANDUSKY, Ohio — For nearly 100 years, the Sandusky State Theatre has been a cornerstone for arts and entertainment in the community. But since 2020, the historic venue has been on a long journey of repair and recovery.

Board chair Colleen Shay Murray said the theatre was already shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic when a powerful windstorm struck on June 10, 2020. The storm tore off half the roof.

“The night of the storm, there was immediate, overwhelming support from our community,” Murray said. “Several of our local subcontractors came down within minutes of the storm to lend a hand.”

The first phase of the rebuild focused on immediate mitigation and was primarily covered by insurance.

Major renovations officially began in April 2022, but by June 2024, local subcontractors raised concerns that stalled progress. When months of negotiations failed to reach a resolution, the theatre board filed a performance bond claim with the general contractor’s surety company.

“Talks will continue, the collaboration will continue between our organization, the theatre, the surety company and their representatives, and those talks will continue to come up with that final solution for moving forward on the full project,” Murray said.

The theatre is also working closely with the Greater Sandusky Partnership to keep the project moving.

“It just made sense to be involved in this process,” said Alissa Fisher, director of marketing and creative services for the partnership. “We know that the State Theatre is critically important to the community.”

A key part of the ongoing effort is making sure the structure is secure, especially ahead of winter.

“We need to make sure the new venue is winterized so that there’s no water intrusion that will come into this beautiful historic side of the building,” Murray said.

Despite the setbacks, the board remains optimistic. The goal is to complete renovations and reopen the theatre within the next 12 to 18 months.