The Thunder Bay Theatre in downtown Alpena recently announced the clean-up of the theatre's warehouse, which burned down in late 2023.
Ongoing renovations in the main theatre building were put on pause when the warehouse caught fire and resulted in partial damage to the 57-year-old theater.
The renovation of the main building includes updating the auditorium, lobby, electrical and plumbing systems, upstairs apartments, purchasing a new roof and restoring the historic facades.
The warehouse fire destroyed everything that was stored there, including props, stage sets, stored furniture and the backstage area. The foundation of the warehouse only remains.
Local first responders determined there was no malicious intent behind the fire.
According to Ann Gentry, president of the theatre's board of directors, one of the board members had an idea to recycle the warehouse's bricks.
"We had a mural painted on the building in 2020, and we thought these bricks are just going to the landfill," Gentry said. "Maybe there's people that want to take them home and we can spin it as a fundraiser."
Gentry said the fundraiser is selling the bricks at $25 a piece, and that all donations will be going towards continued renovations and future construction projects at the theater. The fundraiser is scheduled to end in late May.
The warehouse fire was not the only setback the theater suffered in 2023.
During the summer, someone broke in and stole some of their equipment, selling it before police could find and return it.
"The guy sold our equipment and disposed of some of it, so they recovered a little bit from him, but it was not the big-ticket items like the light board and the soundboards that are $20,000 to $30,000 to replace," Gentry said.
Gentry told WCMU that the board of directors will be applying for new grants and fundraisers to rebuild the warehouse, backstage area and purchase new stage equipment for the theatre.
"We did get a small amount from insurance, but it's very expensive to build a new building, so we know we're going to have to either fundraise or seek grant or foundation to even rebuild anything on that site," Gentry said.
Gentry said the board hopes to reopen the theater in 2025.
