Let's all go to the lobby

ST. MARYS - Substantial progress has been made in revitalizing the St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House, according to officials with an associated non-profit.

Organizers from the Friends of the St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House led a tour of the building on West Spring Street with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, State Rep. Craig Riedel, R-Defiance, and other community members. State Rep. Susan Manchester, R-Waynesfield, also joined later in the day.

David Weilbacher, an organizer with the non-profit, said the group has installed a new HVAC system, furnace and air conditioning in the building

Plastering is almost complete in the lobby and tile work has started, he said, adding carpet has been ordered and is in storage for the time being.

Now that the building has heat, it has working bathrooms again, he said. Work in the auditorium is also nearly complete.

Doug Spencer, an Auglaize County commissioner and organizer for the non-profit group, said he believes the group has secured about 60% of funding necessary to fully revitalize the building.

Members of the non-profit hope to raise roughly $3 million to revive the historic structure and have it open by August 2023 -in time for the city's bicentennial.

The group received $500,000 in state funds from the state capital budget, Spencer said. The group also has received a $250,000 Target of Opportunity state grant and $40,000 in matching funds from the friends group. The Target of Opportunity grant funds will be used to restore the facade of the building, he said.

Consultant Michael Hurwitz, founder of Historic Opera Houses, Columbus, who is helping to restore the theater and opera house, on Wednesday called the building's progress tremendous.

Aside from a theater in Midland that was privately funded by a member of Longaberger family, Hurwitz said the progress the group has made in such a short time is the fastest he's seen.

Jordan, who was visiting the theater for the first time, said the theater was "awesome."

"This is great. I'm looking forward to hopefully come back next year… for the bicentennial," Jordan said. "My wife's an artist, she's an art education teacher. She would love all this stuff, so she'll want to come back."

The theater was built in 1895 and was a long-time hub for arts and entertainment for the community, Spencer had said.

The theater sat empty for 12 years before the nonprofit took ownership of it in July 2021. The goal is to provide a multi-faceted venue that can be enjoyed for generations to come, Spencer said.

For example, Spencer said the group may look into allowing wedding or engagement photos at the theater. Spencer said he's imagined wedding ceremonies being held on the first floor of the theater, with receptions in the grand ballroom on the second floor.

The theater will stay true to its roots by keeping the red and white color scheme and red theater seats. Plans also call for a mix of old and new features with digital movie posters and original murals.

While most of the project will aim to revitalize some of the most iconic parts of the theater, organizers hope to add an outdoor space that would face South Street. Part of the space would be covered in astroturf and provide an area for movies, concerts and other activities, Spencer had said.

Organizers hope to have a large door that could open and close behind the existing theater's stage, allowing performances to start inside and extend outside toward the green space.