Sandusky State Theatre restoration nears completion after 2020 storm damage

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WTVG) - The Sandusky State Theatre is getting closer to raising the curtain on a new era after storm damage more than five years ago left the nearly century-old theater heavily damaged.

The project has been a labor of love for the community. Rebuilding the community treasure has been a long road, but organizers say they are nearing completion of the restoration process.

In June 2020, a storm tore through Sandusky, leaving destruction throughout the town. The Sandusky State Theatre took a direct hit.

“The winds came straight through and just completely pulled off essentially the very back half of the building. So it was open to the sky,” said Colleen Shay Murray, board chair for the theater.

Tim Parkison, a board member, described the immediate aftermath.

“The moments after the storm were just devastating. The streets were littered with bricks, cars were destroyed, thank goodness, no one was hurt,” Parkison said. “The magnitude of the destruction took a while to wrap our heads around.”

Seeing the devastation inspired Murray to get involved in the rebuilding process. She now serves as board chair for the theater.

“It just was very evident when I first moved here, this was a center for the community,” Murray said. “It is very important to deliver this crown jewel back to the community.”

The theater was built in the 1920s as a vaudeville theater and has gone through several transformations and owners over the years.

“We are excited to restore this gem back to its original glory,” Parkison said.

While much was lost in the storm, one piece in particular survived.

“Our beautiful chandelier that had been a gift from a wonderful donor many years ago survived without any damage,” Murray said.

The restoration is designed to honor the past while ensuring the theater serves future generations. For Parkison, who has been involved with the theater for decades, the work is personal.

“I’ve been on stage, in the audience and helped program. To be able to get the doors back open and especially with the new renovations, ADA-compliant and new seats, we are really excited to get the community back in,” he said.

Bringing the theater back has been a painstaking process with stops and starts, but organizers say the finish line is now in sight.

“Projects like this take a very long time. And we are committed to quality not hurrying up and getting the doors open. We are very anxious to get the doors open, but we want to make sure all final touches are ready, so when we do bring the community back into the theater, it will be a wonderful wow moment,” Parkison said.

A simple reminder appears on the ceiling in the form of a mural depicting a sky.

“The sky mural is exactly what the sky looked like after the storm blew out on June 10, 2020. Very, very important and emotionally meaningful for those of us who were here,” Murray said.

The mural also helps paint a picture of the blue skies ahead. The hope is to have the restoration project finished within the next 12-18 months, with a goal to open the theater back up to the community by late 2026 or early 2027.

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