ALTUS – Renovations are forthcoming to the former Opera House, which was recently purchased by the Altus Redevelopment Authority with plans to turn the first floor into office space, one city official said.
The building, located at the corner of North Main Street and East Broadway Street, was never an Opera House, but was used for a variety of shows and plays over the years. The building opened in 1901. For more than 100 years, the building housed department stores, including C.R. Anthony, Main Street Altus, the Altus Chamber of Commerce and offices for lawyers.
The redevelopment authority purchased the 13,000 square-foot building for $185,000, city documents show. The building’s purchase was approved by the city council at its March 5 meeting. Uses for the building’s second story haven’t been determined, but could include more office space, City Manager Gary Jones said.
“This is an iconic building in Altus and it does have a history although it’s not on the National Register of Historic Places,” Jones said. “There was a big push for somebody to purchase and renovate it.”
In other key business approved on March 5, the council approved an engineering agreement with Fox, Drechsler and Brickley to work on the Falcon Road widening project that will cost the city between $6 million and $7 million. The engineering cost will be 8% of the total project cost and could be as high as $560,000.
The road work is projected to begin early 2025 and will take about a year to complete, Jones said. The project will involve three lanes including a center turn lane.
“It will make things a lot safer having that center turn lane, the city manager said. “It will involve lighting, shoulders and will improve traffic flow.”