DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit's Senate Theater, a nearly 100-year-old community landmark powered entirely by volunteers, faces mounting financial pressures as costly repairs threaten its future operations.
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The nonprofit Detroit Theater Organ Society, which owns and operates the Southwest Detroit venue, needs approximately $150,000 for building maintenance despite recent Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts.
"We're maintaining one of the few movie theaters that are left in the city of Detroit," said John Lauter, secretary of the board of directors for the Detroit Theater Organ Society.
The theater's story began with a beloved pipe organ that needed a home after being displaced during Fisher Theatre renovations in 1961. What started as a private club has evolved into a public theater hosting movies, concerts and shows for the community.
"The grand mission is to keep a roof over the head of this instrument, which we really want to preserve. It's a very historical piece. It's a very significant piece to Detroit and to this type of organ," said Lauter. "We also want to keep being a theater for the neighborhood and for the city."
However, the building's age presents increasing challenges for the volunteer-run organization.
"Time is constant. The clock ticks every moment the building gets older," Lauter said. "We're getting to the point where some of the physical demands of the building are becoming pressing."
Current priorities include masonry repairs, stage support improvements and fire safety system upgrades. The organization relies on raising money from programming and on donations to fund these essential projects.
"We need more donors in this. We're getting into six figures in these projects all told," Lauter said.
The theater previously faced a similar challenge when its original attraction sign deteriorated to the point where its structure was declared unsafe. Donors raised over $140,000 to replace it with a new LED sign.
"We were able to raise that money and defray that cost," Lauter said.
The organization hopes end-of-year contributions will help bridge the current funding gap and preserve the theater's unique community role.
"We're keeping alive this building and this tradition of going to the theater to see films together with people, and it's a different experience," Lauter said.
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