Kiefaber Questions Senator Plans

A routine hearing to amend a conditional use for the Senator Theatre gave Tom Kiefaber, the historic cinema’s former owner, a forum to suggest that the city needs to start the process of finding an operator over again.  

The Senator’s new operators, James “Buzz” Cusack and his daughter Kathleen Cusack, unveiled amended plans to revamp the historic theater in March. In December, the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals approved a conditional use on the theater to allow the Cusacks to add a restaurant and another theater to the building.

On Tuesday, Kathleen Cusack appeared before the board to ask them to amend the conditional use. The operators now want to build three new theaters instead of the restaurant.

The board approved the amendment to the conditional use, but the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation must approve any changes to theater's exterior or interior.

The amendment to the conditional use was on the board’s consent docket that allows changes to be approved without a formal hearing. Surrounding neighborhood associations and the Baltimore Development Corporation sent letters supporting the proposed changes.

Just before the consent docket was approved, Kiefaber arrived to voice his objections.

During the hearing, Kiefaber complained that changes proposed by the Cusacks are significantly different than what was accepted under the city’s request for proposal that ended with the Cusacks as the theater’s operators.

He described the process undertaken by the city, along with the quasi-public Baltimore Development Corporation, as “notoriously troubled.”

“The plan is not a good plan, and rules are being bent, if not broken, in regards to this,” Kiefaber said.

Kiefaber, who previously fought to have the theater run by a nonprofit that would use it for movies, live performances and educational activities, was critical of the Cusacks’ plan to run the theater.

He had issues with turning the theater into a multi-screen cinema because the movie business was “in free fall.”