By CATHERINE NOBLE

In the weeks since I became aware of the threat to State Center’s Old Opera House, a landmark-worthy structure on the National Register of Historic Places, it has occurred to me that there are a few points worthy of discussion which have not come up so far in the city council meetings.

I can’t take credit for thinking of all these points myself, but I believe they are worth sharing for the community to think about, and certainly worth the city council thinking about. So with respect to all parties involved I will share them here;

A large issue which has existed for some time in State Center is that there is no overall comprehensive plan for the town. There are many positives in our community, and many groups and individuals who have done good things, but these different projects, while beneficial, are not always as cohesive as they could be. Not having an overall vision plan for the city reduces the synergy and sometimes limits how effective these efforts are as opposed to the maximum benefit which could be received when projects are put into motion within a larger plan. Creating such a plan would help with all city projects as we move forward.

With specific focus on the current needs of the fire department, it seems the only two options being considered by the council are whether to; A) build a new facility on donated land east of town, or B) Tear down the Old Opera House and build on to the existing facility. And the city council seems to be in a hurry to do one of these.

I would suggest considering an Option C. We do not have to spend three million dollars or even one million dollars right now. First, find out what it would cost to acquire the opera house which should have been part of the process by now regardless. The Opera House was gifted to the school district as the Masons felt its fate was safe with a public entity. As such, hopefully the two public entities can agree on how to make that transfer at minimal expense to the city. If the city council is hesitant to purchase it at this point, then surely a reasonable lease could be arranged.

Then go ahead and use the building. Move storage items in. It is an existing space right next door that is immediately available for use. And as a former implement store and warehouse with an overhead garage door already in place it should be somewhat functional as is. Another benefit of this plan is that it is often a wise idea to live with something for a while before massively altering it. This would allow for the fire department to see what they like, what they need to change and come up with the most well-thought-out plan for the conversion.

Also with specific reference to the Opera House, we cannot let stand the comment that “If you put all that money in the opera house you’ll still have an old building.” Once the opera house is restored the structural issues, fire suppression, and modern wiring will be addressed and it will fit in perfectly with our downtown. For the building to have stood this long it has to have been well built. It is unlikely a new building will last anywhere near as long.

During a prior attempt to build a new fire station land was purchased on 4th Street next to the police station. That location is not being considered, so could that land now be sold to help pay for part of this project?

There is also a generous benefactor willing to donate land east of town for a new facility. Could THAT gift to the city be sold as buildable lots to also help defray the costs?

In the last city council meeting there seemed to be a great amount of discussion of whether to spend $3.1 million east of town or $1.7 million at the current site and then it seemed an almost equal amount of consideration was given to the fact that repurposing the Opera House building would require a $58 thousand dollar elevator. This logic puzzles me.

If an accurate cost comparison is to be made between the new building and remodeling the opera house, then consideration should also be given to the square footage of each project and what the cost is to the city for each square foot of space gained. The Opera House is an approximately 6000-square-foot structure.

The building could easily be laid out such that the elevator (the expense of which some are so concerned about) could lead to a public hallway upstairs and space there could be made available for rental. This would bring in some additional income to the city which could help to fund future fire departments needs long-term.

This decision is also being made while no architectural renderings have been made public to show what any of these three possibilities could look like. With State Center having been through this process numerous times with Main Street and other projects it should be clear to the city council that the outcomes are worth the effort of producing renderings and gaining public input.

When people look at the opera house in its current condition some might not see it as such a big loss, but as nice as a new building might be, it will never be anything someone would drive to State Center to see. I don’t believe there is anyone who would tear down Watson’s Grocery, The Remarkable Row, City Hall, Shepler’s barber shop, The Gutekunst Library, The One Room Schoolhouse, The Train Station, The Police Station, The Marshall County Courthouse or for that matter, The Iowa Statehouse just because they are old buildings.

With the historic preservation which has already been done and our location within the ‘golden circle’ of Des Moines (as Project Main Street calls it), State Center can become one of Iowa’s ‘destination cities’, worthy of driving out from Des Moines just to see it, similar to the status already enjoyed by Pella and Winterset. These places have used an overall coordinated plan to keep their grand buildings and enhance their best features. As such they are now destinations. And State Center can be too. It is our best investment for quality of life and economic growth.

——

Catherine Noble is a member of the State Center

Historic Preservation Commission.