If all goes well, Sofi's Crepes and celebrity sidewalk blocks will happily co-exist in the renovation and expansion of a North Baltimore landmark.

In a Tuesday afternoon hearing, the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation approved a new concept for the Senator Theatre that includes the building of a 120-seat theater in the south side of the building and a restaurant and crepe shop in a redeveloped "north wing."

Commissioners and community leaders commended the efforts of new operators Kathleen Cusack and James "Buzz" Cusack and designer Alex Castro to expand the theater's commercial possibilities while protecting its historic character and distinctive features like its rotunda entrance. James Cusack, a CHAP commissioner and Kathleen's father, recused himself from the Senator portion of the meeting.

But the motion of approval also recommended a scrupulous top-to-bottom assessment "by experts in the field," additional study of a proposed expansion to bring the north wing closer to York Road, and "particular attention" to "interior features that are specifically landmarked, the 'signature' sidewalks and the Men's Lounge."

The Cusacks' current design strategy marks a bold shift from earlier plans to build a second theater sometime in the future. Those plans would have required the Cusacks to destroy the original 1939 ladies' lounge and restroom and relocate the women's facilities in order to expand the stalls to the number required by code.

Former Senator owner Tom Kiefaber thanked designer Castro for treating the rotunda as "sacred space," and Tom Harris, president of the advocacy group Friends of the Senator, pronounced himself "pretty much pleased with the new plan." But Kiefaber, Harris and others also urged CHAP and the new operators to consult with specialists in historic-theater preservation from other states.

The tenor of the meeting was constructive. Kathleen G. Kotarba, the city's division chief for historical and architectural preservation, later said in an e-mail, "We are very excited to see the plans moving forward!"

The next step for the Cusack team is completing plans for final review.

michael.sragow@baltsun.com