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Study Gives Green Light To Renovating Stevens Point’s Historic Fox Theater

Theater Was Built In 1894

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Photo: Jeff the quiet (Wikimedia Commons)

Plans are moving ahead for the renovation and eventual reopening of the historic Fox Theater in downtown Stevens Point after a new study says the 120-year-old building is still structurally sound.

The architectural study was commissioned to see if it was even feasible to reopen the old opera house, which has been shuttered since 1986.

Greg Wright, the board president of the Fox on Main nonprofit corporation, said the study’s findings were a step forward.

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“It’s very positive news. There are a couple of things we know we need to fix, but in general, the building is in good shape. It was good construction back in 1894, and it’s been taken care of pretty well since then,” he said.

Wright said the Fox needs a new roof, including the replacement of one of its main supports. He said he’s also hoping to rebuild the back stage, which is now possible because the city demolished part of the downtown mall.

“When the mall was built in Stevens Point in the ’80s, they did take off the back stage area. So, while we do have the original footprint of the 1894 building, there’s no back stage area, there are no dressing rooms, there’s no rigging,” he said. “So, we know we have to do some of that stuff as well.”

Wrights said the positives for the building include balcony seating, an original plaster ceiling and good acoustics. He said the Fox could mean $5 million to $10 million in revenue generated every year in downtown Stevens Point.

“When it was originally built in 1894, it was the place the city went for everything, the heart and soul of entertainment in the community,” he said. “So, that’s really what we’re trying to reclaim. It will be not just an entertainment venue, but a real civic space, a community center. We’ve been using the phrase ‘a community living room.’”

The next steps for the Fox Theater are architectural design studies, followed by a community fundraising drive.