Sandusky Assesses Damage To Historic State Theater, Downtown After Storms

Severe weather Wednesday evening brought strong winds through Sandusky, causing damage downtown and decimating the historic State Theater.

A portion of the ceiling fell into the theater’s auditorium, said City Manager Eric Wobser, and bricks fell onto cars in the street. No one was in the theater at the time, Wobser said, and city employees began working to secure the site almost immediately.

“It was a pretty nasty storm that came right off the lake, and it was over relatively quickly,” he said. “But in the short time it was here, it did a lot of damage.”

Portions of Downtown Sandusky were closed off  Wednesday night due to downed trees and other debris, Wobser said, but the restricted area has since been reduced to the streets around the theater and another building that was already slated for demolition this week.

But the extent of damage to the theater isn’t clear yet, Wobser said, nor is a timeline for repairs.

“We need to give that a few days to play itself out,” Wobser said. “I think the damage is extensive, but I’m hopeful that at least aspects of the theater are going to be salvaged.”

The State Theater’s restoration was part of a larger effort to revitalize Sandusky’s downtown in recent years. The theater building has been closed due to COVID-19, Wobser said, but since its restoration, it has been a draw for visitors and served as a focal point in the neighborhood.

“Whatever the damage to the theater ends up being, we’re very confident that we’re going to be able to rebuild it and restore what can be restored, and that it will continue to be a cultural center for our community,” Wobser said.

The theater, along with other revitalization efforts, has brought in about $100 million of private and public investment in the last five years, Wobser said.

“I think those same community leaders, and new leaders, will really rally around saving the theater again,” he said.