Towson’s Recher Theatre will host its final concert on Sunday. But local business owners and some residents are making some noise about plans for its future. WYPR’s Kenneth Burns reports.
What started as a movie theater on York Road eventually became a well-known concert venue. The theatre’s wall of fame holds pictures of a who’s who of national and local music artists who performed here, including Dave Mason, George Clinton and the Kelly Bell Band. Brian Recher co-owns the theatre with his brother, Scott.
“In one year we sold over 232,000 tickets and that’s without local stuff. That’s stuff reported to Pulse Star magazine. That is one year and it was amazing.”
But competition has grown in the 14 years since The Recher hosted its first concert.
“Hammerjack’s reopened up; they were a night club, but they did shows as well. Bohager’s took that over, they did shows. Ram’s Head opened up; they’re doing shows. Baltimore Sound Stage is doing shows. Eight by Ten still does shows. Ottobar. I mean, there’s a whole lot of venues in a very small area.”
So, after the last concert Sunday, Recher will begin turning the building, which has been in family for more than 50 years, into the Torrent Nightclub featuring Electronic and Dance Music acts. It should open later this year.
But those plans have drawn the ire of 13 people who signed a petition challenging the renewal of Recher’s liquor license. The group is represented by attorney Charles Brooks – who also signed the petition. Brooks declined requests for a taped interview.
One of the signers, Delores Astroth, lives in a condo behind the theatre. She complained in an e-mail of loud music, fights, loud car radios, screaming, and the sound of breaking bottles, saying the theatre “has not been good for the neighborhood.”
Nancy Hafford, Executive Director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, said she was “extremely disappointed” to hear about the challenge to the liquor license.
“Mr. Brooks has been in our community for a long time and he has seen how the Rechers have handled their business. I was disappointed by that but I’m not sure where it’s motivated.”
Recher, who owns two other businesses on the same block, is puzzled by the complaints.
“We have an amazing product; we’ve had an amazing product for many years. We’ve entertained millions of people; literally millions of people.”
He suggests that The Cordish Companies, the Baltimore developer that owns the Maryland Live casino in Anne Arundel County, may be behind the petition. Recher reads from a letter he received from Towson Circle Holdings, a joint venture between Cordish and Heritage Properties, which is building a 150 million dollar mixed use project behind the theater.
“Purpose of this letter is to put you on notice that our client has serious concerns that a nightclub in the location that you propose poses a serious safety threat to their project and to the massive investment by the public and private sector in creating a true renaissance in the core of Towson”
The Cordish Companies and Heritage Properties failed to respond to requests for comment. The Baltimore County Liquor Board says it will schedule a hearing on the petition in April.