GREEN LAKE (NBC 26) — The Green Lake community is raising money to remodel its historic downtown opera house, which has been a staple in the small town for decades.
- The Thrasher Opera House was built in 1910.
- The Opera House hopes needs to raise an additional $1 million to reach its fundraising goal.
- The remodel will expand the lobby and bar area while making the entrance ADA compliant. The historic parts will not be changed.
Lee Baird is a regular at the Thrasher Opera House.
“It's always enjoyable,” he says.
He's lived in Green Lake for 60 years, and he sees the value the thrasher opera house brings to downtown.
“We are just so lucky to have an event venue here like this,” he says. “Just very remarkable for a town this size.”
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The opera house was built in 1910, but from the outside, it’s hard to see its significance.
“I watch people all the time walk down the sidewalk here and not even think twice about coming into this space because the space as it is, looks like a real estate office,” Rachael Avery, executive director of the opera house, says.
So, The Thrasher is raising money for a $ 3million entryway remodel.
“This building is actually quite big, but you wouldn’t know that as a patron,” Avery says.
The project would redo the parking lot and open up the lobby so there's space for a larger local artisan market, a bar and a waiting area, all while making it ADA compliant.
"Thrasher Opera House is not just music, it's not just bringing music on a stage, it's bringing people together, and we want all those people to feel comfortable in our space,” Avery says.
The remodel is only in the entryway, leaving the historic parts as they are.
“The more people we bring in, the more we grow our mission, the more we can preserve our mission,” Avery says.
They still need to raise $1 million, but Avery says they hope to break ground next spring.
“It's an opportunity to make a place that you care about even better.”
