Our Past Is Present March 6, 2018

March 6, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Last week we shared that in 1985, there were divisions of thought in the city about continuing with the restoration project of the Opera House. Here is more from Rob Stevens’ writing: “Mayor T. Michael Fegan appointed a task force to quickly recommend a future for the building.  Vice Mayor, Dr. Alex Scott, was elected chairman by its members including Scott Stuckey, Eldon Hoyle, Barbara Wright, Richard Pinaire, Mona Kessinger and Rob Stevens.  It first asked any organization which might have a use or interest in the project or the building as well as interested individuals to come before it.  Numerous individuals did that in strong support of the project including Steve Roesler, KJCK owner; Norm Childs, Director of the Convention and Tourism Bureau and Gaylynn Childs, Director of the Geary County Historical Society.  It also heard from several civic groups, but none of those groups would go on record at that time for the project.  Mason Ashby, representing the County Economic Development Commission presented a proposal, which would have converted the front portion of the building into offices and meeting rooms for the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Tourism and Economic Development Staff.

            After six meetings over two months, the task force felt the best avenue of approach, before further public funds were spent, would be to place the bond issue on a ballot.  Dr. Alex Scott stated that “It became apparent to me as I chaired that committee that the project of restoration and renovation of the theater was an economic impossibility.  Every time someone testified, some new problem seemed to emerge and it became apparent that when the building was stripped of the trappings that made it an opera house, it lost much of its possibility for restoration as an historically meaningful building and that what remained was really the shell. I think it is a sad thing that the hearings on the acceptance of the Opera House could not have been made before the building was accepted.”

            Join us next Tuesday for more on the struggles and progress of restoring the C.L. Hoover Opera House on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.