Rodgers Theatre roof fundraiser meets grant match

After two years of vigorous fundraising, including hosting dozens of concerts and special events, Rodgers Theatre, Inc. Board of Directors President Wally Duncan says the organization now has full funding to begin replacing the three sections of roofing on the 70-year-old building.

“We’ve certainly come a long way, and it’s a great feeling,” Duncan said. “We certainly appreciate the support of the community. Brent Davis worked hard getting shows in, and we got a lot of donations. It all added up and we met our goal.”

The fundraising was necessary, Duncan said, because of the conditions of a state-funded grant.

“We got a $336,900 grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, but we had to come up with a $45,000 match,” Duncan explained.

At its annual banquet in June, Duncan reported the $45,000 fundraising goal was reached.

Replacing the theater’s roof, Duncan said, has been the most pressing need of all projects at the building, noting the numerous leaks and other problems currently seen.

“Any time we get a big rain, we get a lot of water inside, and we get mold and mildew,” he said.

“The biggest problem area is the lower roof along Broadway. It’s been patched over the years but it got to be too big of a problem,” said Bradley Chronister, project manager for Dille & Traxel Architecture and Rodgers Theatre, Inc. board member.

With funding now in place, the roof replacement project, Duncan said, recently was let out for bids and Bartch Roofing of St. Louis was chosen to complete the work.

“They anticipate starting no later than the end of August,” Duncan said, “and they expect it to take only two or three weeks to complete.”

Said Chronister, “We’re all very excited to get started, and it will be a big step forward. Once the roof is fixed, it opens up a lot of possibilities.”

In the meantime, Duncan noted, the building’s lighted tower, removed last summer, is in the final stages of restoration and should be ready to reinstall soon.

“The tower needed a lot of work, and we hope to get it completed in the next few weeks,” Duncan said.

The tower, he noted, will be installed first, and the new roof will be put in place around it.

Once the roofing job is complete, Duncan said, fundraising events will continue to be held so future renovation projects can be taken on.

“We’re going to continue fundraising ... that’s just part of it,” he said.

Next on the board of directors’ to-do list, Duncan said, is the theater’s marquee, damaged years ago by a passing truck.

“We want to get that working again,” he said of the sign.

The ultimate goal of Rodgers Theatre, Inc., is to “restore the theater as close as possible to its original state,” Duncan said. “It’s going to take some time, but we’re feeling good.”