By Tom Gilchrist
Staff Writer
VASSAR — The sister to late Vassar Theatre owner Timothy S. O’Brien proposes to sell the theater to Andreas Fuchs of Connecticut, described in his blog as a “theatre-history advocate” who operated his family’s theaters in Germany before moving to the U.S.
A hearing on the proposed sale of the 77-year-old theater is set for Dec. 5 at 1:30 p.m. in Tuscola County Probate Court.
Any sale would have to be approved by Probate Judge Nancy L. Thane, according to Vassar City Manager Brad Barrett, who said Vassar’s Downtown Development Authority will get the chance to comment on any deal before the judge rules on the transaction.
According to court documents, Fuchs “or an entity to be formed by him” proposes to buy the 371-seat theater for $138,000. The art deco movie house, restored and upgraded by O’Brien, has been closed since his March 19 death.
The proposal allows Fuchs 45 days from the the execution of the sale agreement to inspect the theater and — if he wishes — terminate the agreement for any reason.
The Advertiser could not reach Fuchs for comment. His Internet blog describes him as “a third-generation theatre operator who sold his first movie ticket at the age of 12,” adding that “After several years of operating the family circuit of theatres in Germany, (Fuchs) moved to the United States.”
The blog further identifies Fuchs as a “theatre history advocate” who has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety magazines.
In June, Thane named Uebbing, of Melvindale, as heir to the theater, and appointed Uebbing as personal representative of O’Brien’s estate. O’Brien wasn’t married at the time of his death and had no children or any other siblings. No will had been filed to direct distribution of his property.
Fuchs hopes to keep the Vassar Theatre operating as a theater, according to Tjader Gerdom, owner of Gerdom Realty and Investment in Novi, which represents O’Brien’s estate.
According to court documents, Vassar Theatre LLC — seller of the theater — owes $65,000 in debts and taxes.
The theater, built in 1937, endured several floods in the 1990s that sent water as high as four feet inside the building.
In 2013, a Kickstarter campaign was organized on the Internet that saw supporters donate $72,737 to convert the theater to a facility with digital projection equipment. According to an announcement on the Kickstarter website, the Vassar Theatre “has survived numerous floods, extended closures, vandalism, economic hardships and the ravages of time.”
Vassar city officials have expressed fear that the buyer would stop operating the business as a theater, or would sell the building’s contents. During recent years, the theater has drawn customers from beyond the Vassar area who came to experience a single-screen theater and the restorations and upgrades made by O’Brien, who was 52 at the time of his death.