Sandusky State Theater Heavily Damaged in 6/10 Storms

mrtrudeau23

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These images are incredible and heartbreaking. The awesome power of nature. Do we have any friends on CB who work there?


 
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A couple images from inside the theater. So very sad.

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I did some work there, and visited many times while I was living in Sandusky. I know lots of people who have worked/working there. Last I heard no one was inside the building and they are doing damage assessment today.
 
Since some media stories have a short online life, here are a few pics:
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And before pics from Google Earth:
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That exterior photo is insane. I was wondering how only that section of the roof caved in but it's much more obvious now seeing the outside. Very sad. Hopefully coverable from insurance.
In the first photo from Twitter, there's a long corrugated thing that extends from the ceiling in the foreground to almost the floor. Can't figure out what it is. Any thoughts?
I put an arrow here.
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The Theater's TECH SPECS.
OH, and addition to @macsound 's green arrow pointed to that metal thing (which might be a fitment for expanded metal plaster lath) it also may point to parts of the Nexo line array.
Now, my question, is that large sky painted thing perhaps an asbestos fire curtain?
 
The Theater's TECH SPECS.
OH, and addition to @macsound 's green arrow pointed to that metal thing (which might be a fitment for expanded metal plaster lath) it also may point to parts of the Nexo line array.
Now, my question, is that large sky painted thing perhaps an asbestos fire curtain?
I was also going to say the metal piece the arrow points to looks like a piece of a plaster ceiling.
I doubt it was the fire curtain. In the second image @JohnD posted, it looks like the fire curtain (or something) is still attached to the back of the pro arch.
 
Our local in toledo has reached out to offer help, so far the TD doesn't want any, they're just trying to wrap their head around it all. It was a microburst that basically dropped right on top of them and then vanished. This is a facebook video so it may not play because of permissions but it shows part of the wall collapse right at the start.
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That is devastating. It has to be totally unsalvageable.... Wow
 
That exterior photo is insane. I was wondering how only that section of the roof caved in but it's much more obvious now seeing the outside. Very sad. Hopefully coverable from insurance.
In the first photo from Twitter, there's a long corrugated thing that extends from the ceiling in the foreground to almost the floor. Can't figure out what it is. Any thoughts?
I put an arrow here.
View attachment 20287
My guess is that is Ante-pro lighting for that ceiling.
 
Wow, I gotta say that must have been some wind storm but, this was an UMB <Un-reinforced Masonry Building> and from the looks of it it had surprising few Pilasters to add support for the grid and fly house and I see no steel. I would like to see what those wall were supporting and what that load was.
 
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Very devastating. Heard about it right after it happened as my current GM is close friends with the GM there and is a local Ohioan as well. She offered to have our team go out, historical theatre helping historical theatre. Not sure there's much to help with at this point unfortunately.
 
I'm glad nobody was hurt. What if the pandemic hadn't closed it?

I have to wonder if the building ever got a thorough, bottom to top structural examination. Is it possible that codes didn't require it, if a lot of the renovations were cosmetic? I know wind can be extremely powerful, but it just doesn't seem like a healthy structure would have failed to that extent.

I hope the engineering community takes a hard look at this.
 
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I'm glad nobody was hurt. What if the pandemic hadn't closed it?

I have to wonder if the building ever got a thorough, bottom to top structural examination. Is it possible that codes didn't require it, if a lot of the renovations were cosmetic? I know wind can be extremely powerful, but it just doesn't seem like a healthy structure would have failed to that extent.

I hope the engineering community takes a hard look at this.
Notice the only wall still standing is the T-Bar wall. Looks to be the only steel in the flyhouse. Oh and the Smoke pockets for the Fire curtain.
 
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With other grand movie palaces that have gotten major renovations, it is not uncommon to block off the proscenium opening and demo the entire stagehouse and replace it with an all new, frequently expanded stagehouse. According to the tech specs, there was no crossover available, either at stage level or in a basement. As far as the ante-pro section of the damaged roof there is no telling how far the damage goes and what can be done to preserve the rest of the interior while that fix is ongoing. I wonder if there is a lift line for the grand chandelier?
 
Drone footage of the damage.
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