Vote Now: Valley Junction's Theatrical Shop Vies For Cash In National Contest

WEST DES MOINES, IA. -- A historic property in Valley Junction is among 25 projects nationwide in the running for a portion of $2 million in preservation and renovation money through the Partners in Preservation Vote Your Main Street community campaign. Public voting will determine which projects receive money for needed repairs and upgrades.

The Theatrical Shop, 145 Fifth St., is the largest building in Valley Junction and the district's only three-story structure. The makeover project submitted for the campaign would focus on restoration of the marquee, the first-floor storefront and the brick facade along Fifth Street, said Jim Miller, director of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation. That exterior work is estimated to cost about half a million dollars.

Main Street Iowa submitted several possible projects for the national campaign and the Theatrical Shop renovation was the only Iowa project selected. Miller said the ten projects receiving the most votes each will be awarded $150,000.

"We have every intention of being in that group of ten," he told Patch.

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Built as the Lyric Theatre in 1913, the building at the corner of Fifth and Maple streets has housed the Theatrical Shop since owner Debbie Westphal Swander's mother bought the property in 1968. Swander said her vision is to completely renovate the building, which includes 15 apartments above the costume and theater-supply business.

Those units sit empty now because they are outdated, Swander said. "The second and third floors only have two bathrooms. It's just not feasible for someone to want to rent an apartment that has a common bathroom."

Swander owns multiple buildings in the district and has renovated several In the last four years, from painting exteriors and updating awnings to putting in new flooring and repairing heating and cooling systems.

“My goal has been to bring more life and vibrancy to the district as a whole, but in general expanding that on to Maple because it is the heart of Valley Junction," she told Patch. "I definitely want to completely renovate the Theatrical Shop, but it’s a big building, so it’s going to take some time and it’s going to take some money."

Miller said the building is probably the most recognizable in the historic district, but is not the only one in need of upgrades.

"There's probably not a building here that doesn't need work," he said. "They are all in the 100-year-old frame, so they all need tender loving care."

Partners in Preservation is an initiative created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to engage the public in preserving and increasing awareness of America’s historic places and their role in sustaining local communities, a news release by the organization says. Since its inception in 2006, Partners in Preservation has awarded more than $19 million for preservation of more than 200 sites.

This is the first year for the grassroots campaign recognizing 25 historic sites on American Main Streets. National Geographic is hosting the VoteYourMainStreet.org website, where the public may vote daily through Oct. 31 for up to five projects. Winners will be announced Nov. 2.

Each project in the Vote Your Main Street campaign was awarded $20,000 to promote voting and renovation needs.

A recent National Main Street Center Reinvestment Statistics Study found the presence of a Main Street program leads to an average of $3.1 million more in retail sales each year than would be expected otherwise in the community, according to the news release.

Patch file photo