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University Daily Kansan; August 20, 1981
Commission approves study to consider opera house uses
By MICHAEI ROBINSON Staff Reporter
For nearly 100 years, the Lawrence Opera House has been a center for Lawrence entertainment.
since 1882, the building has provided local residents with plays, musicals, films, dance contests and, more recently, live music.
The yellow brick, four-columned building was burned and rebuilt twice, once in 1911 and again in 1930. And in the past several years, it has hosted such acts as the Police, Maynard Ferrusson and Muddy Waters.
But now, the historic building is on the auction block, and one of the area's bases of popular music for the last four years may be turned into office buildings.
TUESDAY NIGHT, the Lawrence City Commission approved the recommendation of City Manager Buford Watson and hired Design Build Massachusetts Sk., to do a financial and structural study of the Opera House.
The study will determine if the building meets city codes and will offer an estimate of the renovation costs for turning the theatre into a community
Watson said the study would cost the city from $500 to $7,500.
Mayor Marci Francisco said the money for the study was a "commitment that we think it (the theater) is a worthwhile project."
Leading the city's efforts to acquire the building and possibly renovate it for use as a community center are city candidates Barkey Clark and Gleason.
On June 16, the commission unanimously adopted a motion by Gleason to purchase a nine-month option to buy the opera house. The theater was authorized an appraisal and feasibility study on the cost of renovation.
THE MOTION was adopted after several civic groups said the former theater would make a good civic center as well as a meeting ball.
Despite the city's interest in the building, Curtis Reinhardt, general manager of the opera house, said that he has seen a marked position among prospective buyers.
He said that owner H. Skip Moon had received several offers for the opera house, which as been on sale since the beginning of the year.
However, Reinhardt said that none of the offers so far had been close to the $200,000 Moon was reportedly asked for the building and additional property.
"The owner and I are tired of being broke," Reinhardt said. "Whoever comes up with the bucks first, that's who gets it."
Moon is selling the building, Reinhardt said, because he is not making as much money as he had hoped and be- made has lost interest in the music business.
"Skip's head is not in bars and music," Reinhardt said.
Reinhardt said that he was also ready to move on.
"Personally, I'm ready to get into the music profession somewhere," he said.
The sale of the center, whenever it occurs, will be another chapter in the story.
It was originally known as the Bowersock Opera House, named after Lawrence businessman Justin D. Bower. The property is the site of a burned-down meeting hall.
Films, plays and community events were held in the building, which later
AFTER A FIRE in 1830, the building was rebuilt and renamed the Dickinson Theater.
became known as Bowersock Theater. Radio station WRGN of Topeka held a series of radio broadcasts.
In 1940, the name of the opera house again changed, this time to the Jayhawk Theater. The theater flourished until lack of parking, combined with competition with other movie houses, forced the Jayhawk to close in 1959.
But in 1960, entertainment at 645 Massachusetts was resurrected in the name of the Red Dog Inn. For the first time, the building featured live bands.
From January 1976 to January 1977, a disco named Bugsy's occupied the building. Then the present Lawrence Onera House opened.
In the early 1970s, the Ibm became the house and later the Lawrens Opera House.
Despite the fact that the building is for sale, the opera house will continue to be the opera house for at least a while longer, Reinhardt said.
Reinhardt stressed that acts had been backed for the opera house into October.
"Unit! the building is sold," he said. "It'll be business as usual."
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