Ansonia Corporation Counsel John Marini.
ANSONIA – It could cost between $8 million to $15 million to restore the historic, 155-year-old Ansonia Opera House.
That is according to a ballpark estimate from New Haven-based architect firm, Patriquin Architects. The firm’s principal, Paolo Campos, along with architectural designer Aurora Perreault, unveiled conceptual plans for the 16,000-square-foot opera house during an hour-long presentation Tuesday (Feb. 18) held at the Ansonia Senior Center.
A rendering of what the opera house could look like.
City officials said they will try to get federal grants, state grants, and private money to fund the renovation. The goal is to restore the building and use it as an entertainment space for the arts, with everything from concerts and comedy shows to art shows and theatrical performances. The building could also be used as a public meeting space, officials said.
And depending on how quickly funds can be secured, Campos estimated renovations could start in the next year or two.
However, federal funding right now is an open question under President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting measures.
About 50 people turned out to hear the firm’s vision for the building, which was shuttered in 1971 by the state fire marshal and deemed a safety hazard, Campos said.
Built in 1870 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the former opera house at 100 Main St. was a performing arts venue that also served as a hub for everything from roller skating to local graduations.
The building was purchased in 1983 by the Kendzierski family. The family partnered with the city in 2022, entering into a long-term ($1 per year) lease of the property with the goal of moving toward an exterior and interior restoration.
Through the private-public partnership with the Kendzierski family, the city has since secured several grants, including a $20,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office and a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development to be used for inspections and structural assessments.
Campos said his firm has been working on the feasibility study for about two years.
He said the next steps are to nail down a total project cost and gain approvals from the State Historic Preservation Office because the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Campos showed sketches of the existing, four-story building’s exterior and interior, along with renderings of what the space can look like when restored.
Campos credited the Kendzierski family with maintaining the building all these years, and said the building is not in that bad shape for its age.
Campos said the exterior bricks will need to be restored, and areas that are cracked fixed. There’s lead paint and asbestos throughout the building, no sprinkler protection, no accessibility for people with disabilities, no fire-safe stairwells, and a fire escape that leads to nowhere.
The finished space would accommodate about 550 people, Campos said.
“We want to make it look like it could’ve always looked like in the past,” Campos said.
Some of the people in the audience, including local artist Ellen Tresselt, said they liked the vision for the building.
“I would love to see some studio space and artist space in there, especially because the visual arts are really big right now,” Tresselt said. “Perhaps the local schools and area colleges could also use the space for plays and events.”
