A new chapter for the Sandusky State Theatre

Progress on the Sandusky State Theatre has been slow, but according to a recently released report, the project is about 75% complete. That was the assessment of Tom Einhouse, a consultant brought on by the Greater Sandusky Partnership, who penned a 10-page report on everything that's happened with the theater reconstruction to date, plus recommendations for the future. This past December, Einhouse retired from Playhouse Square in Cleveland with more than 40 years of experience, which included overseeing construction projects and restoration efforts. He became "a nationally recognized expert in historic preservation and restoration," according to a statement from Playhouse Square. Einhouse's report contains a background on how the theater reconstruction came to be (a destructive 2020 windstorm that we're sure many of us remember well,) a timeline of the construction and dispute with the contractor and a recommended pathway to completion. Much of what's contained in the report reflects what the Register published both in the immediate aftermath of the August 2024 news that the theater had fired the contractor, GC3 of Iowa, and what's transpired since. The report does contain interesting information in its timeline, detailing meeting dates and interactions with the builder and what was discussed during those meetings. If you're interested, check out the full 10-page report yourself at greatersandusky.com/einhouse_ sstreport_2025. In short, the timeline states GC3's work on stabilizing the damaged structure in the aftermath of the storm went off without a hitch. But when problems emerged in 2022 when reconstruction started in earnest, and the report claims cost overruns and GC3 "refus(ing) accountability" led to where we are now. And where we are now is a holding pattern while a surety investigation seeks to look into both the theater's and contractor's claims and determine liability. Einhouse estimated that would finish by the end of July; it isn't clear if that deadline will be met. He concluded his report with some final notes and recommendations, including the below (which we've paraphrased a bit): • Once the surety investigation concludes, the amount of project funding determined and a new construction manager hired, it should take around a year to finish the project • The theater's board should hire construction leaders with local knowledge, fiscal responsibility and a good reputation. The assessment that the work is 75% done and, once workers return to the site, only a year's worth of work away from completion, is very encouraging to hear. The community's been waiting for more than five years for this historic venue to return. Reading this report as a roadmap to reopening fills us with hope that we can soon put a close to this unfortunate chapter of the theater's story.