We are officially under renovation at Thunder Bay Theatre with an anticipated reopening in late 2026.
Learn all about the project and future of the theater below!
After over three years of being closed due to water and smoke damage following a fire at the John A. Lau Saloon, repairs and renovations to the Thunder Bay Theatre building began on September 5th, 2023. The majority of the funding for the $2 million project was secured through a variety of state and local grants including the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, State Historic Preservation Office, First Federal Legacy Foundation, and the Besser Foundation.
While the theater received insurance funds for the damage, the funds were not adequate to address all of the building needs.
President Anne Gentry shared, “It has been a long journey to get to this point requiring a lot of patience and determination to keep moving forward. The theater board has been unwavering in its plans to reopen and continue our mission of providing live theatre and educational opportunities for the Alpena community.”
Meridian Contracting Services and Meridian Restoration will be serving as general contractor on the project. Gentry added, “Todd Britton has been an invaluable partner throughout the preparation for the project, he’s provided great insight and recommendations on the structural repairs.”
The first priority for the building is to repair the brick facade, replace the windows, and replace the roof which has been in desperate need of repair for over five years. The project will then move to the interior of the building, which will include rebuilding the lobby, renovating the apartments upstairs, removing lead and asbestos, updating plumbing and electrical, and installing a new fire suppression system.
While the theater received insurance funds for the damage, the funds were not adequate to address all of the building needs.
President Anne Gentry shared, “It has been a long journey to get to this point requiring a lot of patience and determination to keep moving forward. The theater board has been unwavering in its plans to reopen and continue our mission of providing live theatre and educational opportunities for the Alpena community.”
Meridian Contracting Services and Meridian Restoration will be serving as general contractor on the project. Gentry added, “Todd Britton has been an invaluable partner throughout the preparation for the project, he’s provided great insight and recommendations on the structural repairs.”
The first priority for the building is to repair the brick facade, replace the windows, and replace the roof which has been in desperate need of repair for over five years. The project will then move to the interior of the building, which will include rebuilding the lobby, renovating the apartments upstairs, removing lead and asbestos, updating plumbing and electrical, and installing a new fire suppression system.
Renovation Details
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The organization is planning a full renovation of our over hundred-year-old building to repair damage from the 2020 fire and complete much other-needed updates throughout the building. Renovation is expected to total $1,440,530.
Activities include:
Activities include:
- Restoring our historic brick facades: tuck-pointing brick and repairing mortar
- Replacing all second-story windows and first-story doors
- Replacing all roofs on the building
- Creating new glass storefronts
- Renovating all second-story apartments, including repairing plaster, refinishing floors, building new kitchens and bathrooms
- Updating electrical and plumbing throughout the building, including adding AC units to the apartments
- Rebuilding the lobby and creating a new bar area with plumbing
- Creating a new office in the back of the auditorium
- Installing a new fires suppression system
- Remediating lead & asbestos throughout the building
Renovation Timeline
Exterior restoration began September 2023. Meridian Restoration began their work on our back wall (that faces Lake Huron), which was in much worse condition than we thought. The top 4' of the wall has been rebuilt. Since then, the lead and asbestos has been remediated throughout the building, including safely removing asbestos from the pipes in our basement and lead present in the plaster upstairs.
On December 3, 2023, our 7,000 sq ft back warehouse caught fire. Results from the investigation were inconclusive as what started the fire, but most likely it was a random occurrence due to old wiring. While our old building was being restored, we rebuilt smaller version of the warehouse that will house the dressing rooms, backstage area, mechanical, and set storage/design areas.
For the last three years, our building has been undergoing a complete restoration. A new roof was put on the building, bricks and mortar were repaired, and new storefront windows were installed. On the inside of the building, the five upstairs apartments have been totally renovated- with many of their historic features intact! As of June 2026, the work is wrapping up-- floors are being refinished, upstairs kitchens are being installed, and the final touches are being put on our lobby so we can re-open in a limited capacity in 2026, with a full season being planned for 2027.
On December 3, 2023, our 7,000 sq ft back warehouse caught fire. Results from the investigation were inconclusive as what started the fire, but most likely it was a random occurrence due to old wiring. While our old building was being restored, we rebuilt smaller version of the warehouse that will house the dressing rooms, backstage area, mechanical, and set storage/design areas.
For the last three years, our building has been undergoing a complete restoration. A new roof was put on the building, bricks and mortar were repaired, and new storefront windows were installed. On the inside of the building, the five upstairs apartments have been totally renovated- with many of their historic features intact! As of June 2026, the work is wrapping up-- floors are being refinished, upstairs kitchens are being installed, and the final touches are being put on our lobby so we can re-open in a limited capacity in 2026, with a full season being planned for 2027.
Committed Funding
$725,923
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$140,000
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$110,000
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$150,000
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Thank you to the funders & partners who are making this renovation possible
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