In a turn of events that has shocked the Havre de Grace community, the beloved State Theater announced it will not be reopening. Facing unresolved code violations, just days after a swell of community support at a city council meeting, the theater’s owners took to Facebook to confirm the “major gut punch” of a decision, as reported by WMAR-2 News.
The closure comes on the heels of an order by the city deeming the building non-compliant with certain codes. According to CBS News Baltimore, Katie Noe, the theater owner, had been operating without an occupancy permit since January, navigating the difficult terrain of upgrading a 110-year-old building's safety systems during a financially taxing pandemic era. Despite a $100,000 grant to address these issues, the cost and time needed caused significant delays.
Amidst the turmoil, suspicions of retaliation have surfaced. Speculation by the Noes about the timing of the enforcement, following a public critique of the city's financial practices, adds a layer of controversy. "My husband and I spoke against some of the financial practices of the city at a public hearing on June 9, and then a week later, we were given the notice that we had 14 days to finish everything," Katie Noe stated, as per CBS News Baltimore. Havre de Grace's Director of Administration, Dr. Christopher Ricci, refuted these claims, emphasizing the city’s continued support for the theater right until the end.
Following the closure announcement, the theater confirmed in a Facebook post that all donations from a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised almost $35,000 to help save the theater, are being refunded. The post revealed that the Noe family is planning to take August off to pivot and move out, as they reflect on their next steps. "Please do not feel like your efforts were wasted, although it's certainly easy to feel that way right now. Trust us: we're feeling it, too," shared the Noe family in a heartfelt message on social media, as cited by CBS News Baltimore.
