Town of Erwin expresses concerns over Capitol Theatre

ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – In 2022, Robert Fury announced that he planned to open up the Capitol Theatre to the public for that year’s Apple Festival. However, the building did not pass inspection and was not able to be open to the public.

Now two years later, the town’s government said it has growing concerns about the structural integrity of the building.

“The court also gave him 180 days from the time that Mr. Fury attained a building permit,” said Town Attorney Thomas Seeley. “Which was in July 2023, to address the structural issues with the Capitol Theatre. So the 180 days ran [out] in January of 2024. At that point, the town contacted Mr. Fury to see if he had made any progress or had completed the construction to address the structural issue.”

The town found out that while Fury had hired a contractor, that contractor was no longer going to work on the theatre. In February, Prosim Engineering inspected the condition of the building and found that no work had been completed on the inside, which concerned the town.

“There was temporary scaffolding that’s basically holding up the roof,” said Seeley. “There were also some rotting, some floor areas that basically had some structural issues that were collapsing.”

The temporary scaffolding poses a risk of a roof collapse, which could affect more than just the theatre itself, according to Seeley.

“The (hypothetical) collapse of the roof in the Capitol Theatre would affect the other adjacent buildings and also be a potential danger to pedestrians on Main Street.”

Michelle Peterman owns the business to the right of the theatre, Whiskey River Dry Goods Company. She said that while she doesn’t know the extent of the building’s needs, the idea of a potential collapse or similar incident concerns her.

Any time that you have businesses right next to each other,” Peterman said. “You’re always concerned about what’s going on, on either side of you or in the middle because of those obvious reasons.”

Seeley said the town has started considering filing a motion that would move forward with fixing the structure.

“That [motion] is for the chancellor, requesting that if Mr. Fury’s not going to address the structural issues,” said Seeley. “That the town addresses the structural issues and hires a contractor to do that, but then Mr. Fury pay for the expense that the town incurs.”

While fixing the building would ensure the safety of the public, the town is still having to discuss other solutions.

“They’re having to balance with the concern that if Mr. Fury doesn’t pay for this,” Seeley said. “This potentially could be a taxpayer expense. Because once the town, if they’re ordered to address the structural issues, we can place a lean on the property if Mr. Fury won’t reimburse us. To address the structural issues in the Capitol Theatre right now, it could be approximately $200,000-$300,000.”

Peterman said that the idea of an operating theatre in downtown Erwin sounds like a good thing, and hopes for something to be done to improve and preserve the building.

“If not by Mr. Fury, then by the town,” said Peterman. “Because I think that Erwin really, really could use that Theatre or whatever capacity that they would make it into.”

News Channel 11 reached out to the Capitol Theatre’s owner, Robert Fury, for comment but did not receive a response.

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