The historic Chehalis Theater is closed after its certificate of occupancy was revoked earlier this week.
Planned upcoming events are canceled until further notice, and five staff members — three full-time and two part-time — have been laid off.
The Chehalis Theater announced through its Facebook page Thursday, Aug. 13, that the theater would be temporarily closed after the city revoked the occupancy permit for the building. The theater confirmed that tickets for upcoming events would be refunded promptly. Statements from both parties show that the closure stems from a disagreement over how the building is being used.
A news release from the City of Chehalis dated Aug. 11 and provided to The Chronicle on Thursday, Aug. 13, confirms that the City of Chehalis Planning Department issued a notice of violation and revoked the occupancy permit for the building on Tuesday. The announcement states that the city viewed the location as an “imminent threat to public health and safety.”
“The building may not be occupied or used until the City has verified compliance with all applicable requirements and issued a new, valid occupancy permit,” reads the announcement.
According to the city, its staff believes the theater is operating as a night club, a use that is not allowed under its current occupancy permit due to the lack of an automatic sprinkler system.
The ownership group led by Tim Filer and their legal representation denied they have operated illegally or out of compliance.
A statement claimed that there was no specific safety issue that triggered the decision that now prevents anyone from entering the building.
“The city issued this immediate closure of the theater after a city employee discovered a photograph on Facebook of a live musical performance in the theater,” reads the statement from Chehalis Theater ownership. “There was no particular safety issue that occurred. No one was hurt. No one got sick in the restaurant. No one complained about an unsafe condition.”
Chehalis Theater ownership said that the event that was photographed featured a live rock band with the audience seated at dinner tables. Ownership further stated that it operates in line with city code, which allows operation of theaters without fire suppression system given the occupancy limit is below 300 individuals.
The city said it had “recently become aware that nightclub events have resumed at the property,” and said a building official had deemed the area unsafe, but did not further explain what might have spurred the decision.
The ownership group reports issues with the city over the use of the building dating back to 2024.
In the city’s statement, the local government said that officials have been in communication with the theater since June of last year about compliance and safety issues.
“The city has been addressing the building's fire and life-safety compliance issues with the property owner for approximately one year,” said city officials. “During that time, the City made multiple efforts to work with the owner and provide an opportunity for the property to be brought into compliance.”
According to both parties, the theater had originally hosted what the owners refer to as “dance-party like events” before being notified that the theater could not operate in that manner. Owners said that the theater pivoted to operating in a different format compliant with city code.
“The theater stopped live DJ dance parties, and transitioned its space to hold performances where guests remain seated at tables,” the Chehalis Theater owners said. “This ‘dinner and show’ format is a classic use of a theater, and one that this theater has held for decades, long before it was owned by current ownership.”
However, the city statement claims that the compliance did not last, leading to the revocation of occupancy due to imminent danger and the temporary closure of the building. That closure effectively halts the operation of both the theater and the restaurant within.
In a Friday phone call with an attorney representing the theater and its ownership group, Jakob McGhie of Centralia law firm Althauser, Rayan and Abbarno, called the revocation of the occupancy permit “unfortunate,” adding that compliance issues could be addressed without closing a business.
“The city made a decision to designate this as an imminent danger in a way that I don't feel is supported factually and doesn’t give the opportunity of challenging that,” McGhie said. “The city has to lose a cultural touchstone while a legal question is being determined.”
The statement from the City of Chehalis released earlier in the week addresses a similar issue, but states that the action is “not based on the city refusing to work with the property owner.”
“The City provided an extended opportunity for voluntary compliance and allowed additional time for corrective measures to be completed,” reads the statement.
McGhie added that the owners of the theater will challenge the decision with a public administrative hearing through the City of Chehalis. The owners are also considering other legal options to “reopen its doors as soon as possible.”
