Theater Not Returning to the Ideal

A movie theater isn’t coming to the old Ideal Theatre building.

an auction house and antique gallery that currently occupies the building, is moving to East Baltimore, and Avenue Antiques, a multi-vendor store, will be extending its business next door instead.

“Sorry Hampden it’s not going to be a movie theater,” said Elissa Strati, the owner of Avenue Antiques.

Strati, who owns and rehabbed the Ideal Theater building with her husband, said that if former owner Tom Kiefaber couldn’t keep The Senator Theatre she doubts she could run one.

Instead, Strati said the building will be another multi-vendor space called the Ideal, which will operate under the Avenue Antiques banner. For example, if customers wanted to pay by check, they would write it out to Avenue Antiques.

Strati said the vendors in the Ideal building may focus on higher end products exclusively; whereas at Avenue Antiques, the products range from budget friendly to more expensive items.

“I’ll be interested to see, because who the merchants are will drive the kind of merchandise,” Strati said.

She plans to have a soft opening for the extended store by April 1.

The Ideal Theatre opened as a single screen nickelodeon in 1908 and was later used as Salvation Army thrift store until 2005. Later on, Strati, and her husband Al Strati, took over the building and rehabbed it to its original state, including a stage at the back end of the 5,500 square foot building.

Are you disappointed the Ideal won't be a theater again? Tell us why or why not in the comments.