State Theatre owner Kevin Burkett and a few other local arts supporters are founding a nonprofit organization that’s meant to make sure restoration of the local landmark continues.
The State Theatre Preservation Society Corp. is meant to eventually take ownership of the building and see to it that live shows and other entertainment continue while the organization also pursues grants and donations to fund restoration of the building.
“We moved back here to save the theater and I know after running the theater now for a year and a half, I could keep the doors open,” Burkett said Monday. “But I am so fearful that we could lose more buildings downtown and that the State Theatre could be one of them.”
Burkett and his wife, Della, resettled in his hometown Logansport in summer 2014 after purchasing the theater. Since then, some maintenance and restoration work has been done, including tuckpointing problem areas on the brickwork outside, new electrical wiring and restoration of all the Art Deco light fixtures inside.
The stage was also completely overhauled, having new light and sound equipment installed. Burkett also had a new bar and downstairs bathrooms put in.
“We’ve been much more diligent in keeping the place climate-controlled,” he added, “which is very important for an old building like that.”
What’s still needed, he said, is more of what’s already been done. The entire building needs tuckpointing and the roof likely needs replaced. Used theater seats to replace the existing ones would cost about $25,000, he added.
“It’s going to be a major expense to try to really, truly restore that theater,” Burkett said. “That’s the kind of thing that can only be achieved by working through a foundation and applying for grants, that kind of thing. So it makes a lot more sense to me to pursue a nonprofit option.”
Burkett is the president and CEO of the new organization, his first venture into nonprofit waters. His existing company, State of the Arts Media LLC, will keep running the theater until the State Theatre Preservation Society raises the funds to purchase the building.
Once enough is raised, society board members will have the building’s fair market value assessed and a purchase price will be set that won’t exceed that assessment, Burkett said.
He’s unsure how long it might take the society to raise the necessary funding. Achieving federal nonprofit status alone is expected to take months.
In the meantime, Burkett and the society’s other board members — Barry Taylor, Dave Osenbaugh, Rich Voorhies and Barry S. Baldwin — are getting other aspects of the society up and running.
Its bylaws call for an advisory committee of up to 10 local artists of all types — working musicians, thespians, students and technicians, as well as dancers and fine artists — to tell the board what the local arts scene needs from the theater.
“That’s one of the things I’m really proud of,” Burkett said of the advisory committee’s inclusion in the organization’s setup.
Also, a special privilege is set aside for other nonprofit organizations in Cass County: Free use of the theater.
Society bylaws state local schools, colleges, performing arts organizations and other nonprofits seeking space for fundraisers or community enrichment will be allowed access to the theater for free. City and county government will also have the same privilege provided it’s not wanted for political or campaign purposes.
Since reopening as the State Theatre in 2014, the venue has hosted more than 70 events. A recent Pink Floyd tribute show sold 540 tickets, nearly selling out the theater.
Burkett said transfer of the theater’s ownership to the society won’t affect a new music store slated to open this spring in the former pizza parlor attached to the theater. The Record Farm’s two-year lease is protected under the society’s bylaws, he explained.
He added transferring ownership from his own company to the society will free him from potential conflicts of interest if the city invests in infrastructure upgrades downtown.