By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
On May 15, 1917, the Strand Theatre opened in Hays with a showing of 1916's "Snow White."
At the time, the Hays Free Press called the new opera house "a thing of beauty" and "a building of which Hays may well feel proud."
The theater was built by local entrepreneur Millard "M.G." Kirkman who envisioned his endeavor as home to "wholesome amusements worthy the patronage of the people of Hays."
It was outfitted with the latest in technology and was described as "up-to-date and classy in every respect."
Its life as a theater would last only a few decades, closing after a newer, larger theater would open down the street. After the theater closed, the building would be used as a retail space but has been empty since its last tenant vacated the building for another location nearly 20 years ago.
But now, another local entrepreneur is re-envisioning the historic structure again as a source of pride for Hays as an event center in the heart of the downtown district, The Bricks.
Dustin and Laney Roths recently bought the over 5,000-sqaure-foot building at 1102 Main, just down the street from another endeavor operated by Dustin, Dimond R Jewelry, 807 Main.
"It's very exciting to know that Dustin and Laney Roths have taken over that (building," said Sara Bloom, director of the Downtown Hays Development Corp. "Dustin has been a longtime board member of the DHDC, even serving as our board president, and we know that they care about downtown and they care about these historic buildings. We know that they are going to do the thing correctly and they are going to be aware of their neighbors and they are just going to do a wonderful job when it comes to, not only preserving the building but bettering downtown."
They plan to incorporate much of the original look of the building into the new design, bringing back some of the architectural touches from before the building's life as a retail outlet.
"We intend to save history with this project, not destroy it," Dustin said. "Our goal is to bring this thing back to a grand look, that gets used by people.
"It was the Village Shop for a long time," he said. "And that's how most people in Hays will remember it."
The shop, though, covered most of the original walls and ceiling, much of which will be incorporated back into the center.
Dustin said the original tin will be restored on the 25-foot ceilings, with chandeliers installed for lighting.
"It's one of the big projects, getting that tin back to the way it would have looked originally, and restoring it in whatever way we can," Dustin said.
"I think we are excited to ... bring this building back to life and letting the people that live here in Hays enjoy that building," Laney said, adding they hope to have an open house after the remodel has been completed so everyone can see the rehabbed interior of the building.
"From a downtown standpoint, we are super excited to see this historic building brought back to life," Bloom said. "It stood empty for far too long."
While the historic nature of the building limits the changes that can be made, many modern convinces are planned to make the center functional, as well as beautiful.
"It's a contributing building of the Chestnut Street District," Dustin said. "Any time you are a contributing (member) the Historical Society has a lot more of a look at what you are doing and approving what you are doing."
A kitchenette and bar space is planned for the location.
A stage will also be added in order to incorporate a variety of events.
Dustin also said he hopes the center will serve as a beautiful space that will fill the gap between full-service venues and lower-end open buildings in Hays.
"We are going to have this nice place that can handle a whole array of different kinds of events," Dustin said.
"The thing we are trying to do is hit the middle," he said. "The beauty with us is even if it costs a bit more than say a regular metal building ... is you can bring your own alcohol to your wedding, you can cater whomever you want and you can find savings if you want to."
The location being in the heart of the city is also a part of the allure of the space, Dustin said.
"We have utilized it for events already because it is just such a great space right on Main Street," Bloom said. "So to see it actually turned into an event center and something that a lot of organizations and community members are going to be able to utilize is just a dream come true for the DHDC."
"You want to be right near where all of the bars are, where the eating is, where all of the night-life is," Dustin said. "A lot of the other spaces, frankly are on the outskirts of town."
"Everything is right there, easily accessible," he said.
"Our idea for Hays is that they have another place to put together concerts, where they can have comedians, where they can do all kinds of things," Dustin said. "These are the things, that I think, that create a great quality of life in a town this size and for us to be a part of it is really exciting."