Game off.
Like a pickup street hockey game interrupted when a car comes, Duluth's historic NorShor Theatre is once again closed. But the man who manages it said the bar/theater/art gallery should be game on again, and soon.
With a somewhat stinging letter, Duluth Fire Marshal Erik Simonson closed the NorShor on Tuesday for what he called years of repeated violations of the Minnesota State Fire Code.
"The fact that there are still existing violations concerns me greatly," Simonson wrote in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon. "The building owners and business manager have displayed a total disregard for the safety of the patrons, the public and responding fire department personnel."
The theater simply does not meet minimum safety standards in the event of an emergency, Simonson wrote. The violations, which Simonson did not specify, are especially dangerous for places where lots of people gather and alcohol is served, which can exacerbate a dangerous situation, he said.
However, J.P. Rennquist, manager of the Superior Street landmark, said he was confident the problems would be remedied in the near future.
And city councilors Donny Ness and Russ Stewart plan to meet with Simonson this morning to reach a resolution in time for the Bayfront Blues Festival this weekend, Ness said.
"My view is it's very likely that we're going to be able to come to a good resolution to this issue with the city and can continue to serve the public with innovative and creative, community oriented programming," Rennquist said.
Simonson said he issued his notice last Thursday to Arno Kahn and Eric Ringsred, who own the building as Theater in the State Inc., as well as to Rennquist.
"The fire-prevention division has a long history of code-violation issues with this particular occupancy, and many of those same concerns remain today," Simonson wrote. "The most recent fire inspection of the theater occurred last spring, at which time several violations were noted and orders to correct were generated."
He also wrote that extensions were granted on some of those orders more than once, including earlier this summer. He also said Theater in the State and Rennquist promised to fix the problems.
But Simonson said, as part of the annual liquor license approval, he sent a fire inspector to the theater at the beginning of the month. Several issues still existed.
"It is this disregard that prompted this action, which may be perceived as drastic to some," Simonson wrote. "It is a difficult decision for any code official to make, and one that I do not take lightly. However, in the end, it is the safety of the public that I am charged to protect, and I must take the necessary steps to accomplish that task."
Rennquist said, although he has profound respect for police and firefighters, he rejected the notion that he disregarded anything that affects his guests' safety. He declined to comment further and said he'd present more information to the media later this week.
The NorShor Theatre's financial troubles have been well documented. Theater in the State Inc. owns the building and has a contract with Rennquist.
However, it has undergone three management changes in the past two years and has been closed for periods before. Earlier this summer, Rennquist -- who views the theater as a sort of arts community center -- launched a $45,000 fundraising campaign to pay utility and vendor debts.
The closing's timing probably is unfortunate for the NorShor.
Rennquist had hoped to attract some of the estimated 20,000 visitors that will come to Duluth this weekend for the Bayfront Blues Festival, he said. It's become a Blues Festival tradition for many patrons to visit local bars, including the NorShor, looking for more live music after the big festival acts end for the evening.
The NorShor had a full weekend of fundraiser shows lined up, featuring Duluth artists such as Azure du Jour, The Black Labels and some improv jazz, rappers, poets and a slew of DJs.
Rennquist has appealed to the public to contact Mayor Herb Bergson about the situation.
Bergson couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday. He is in Vaxjo, Sweden, on a Duluth Sister City trip until Aug. 18. He left the country Tuesday, city spokesman Jeff Papas said.
Simonson did not return calls seeking further comment Wednesday; nor did Kahn.
For the past five years, Stewart and Ness have championed the theater, which is in need of renovation. Ness said with the mayor away this week, there appears to be a leadership void in City Hall.
He said he's not interested in assigning blame, just finding a way to find some flexibility from the fire marshal and resolve the issues in time for this weekend. Ness, who is City Council president, called Rennquist and his employees the real victims.
"I think it would make more sense to work with the managers to keep the doors open, generate revenue and make progress toward fixing those problems," Ness said.
At least for now, the theater's doors remain locked and the marquee reads, "Closed by city. Call Mayor Bergson 730-5230."
Distributed by the Associated Press
