The curtain will once again be raised in Iola’s downtown historic theater.
The Iola Theatre Association, Inc., a local nonprofit, learned last Wednesday it had been approved for $3.2 million in federal funds made possible by the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Current funding allows for the group’s Phase 1 plans to begin, renovating the 1931 building into an event center for receptions, occasional screen showings, music shows, conferences, fundraisers and other such gatherings.
Phase 1 also includes the unglamorous work of replacing the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; updating its electrical wiring, and making restrooms and entryways compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The group also plans to change out the marquee to the original design from 1931.
Ultimate goals include renovating the second story and replicating the building’s art deco touches, including chandeliers and sconces, murals, tiles, etc. Those costs are expected to be about the same as Phase 1. 
In addition to the $3 million in federal funds, the group has raised $1 million through private donations and two grants from private foundations.
“We’ve been quietly organizing and doing the grunt work to figure out how best to move forward,” Beth Toland, a member of the Iola Theatre Association board, said of the process.
Their timeline is tight.
“We expect to open the doors by the end of 2025,” she said.
THE STATE’S Congressional delegation championed the local cause. That support is crucial to saving the long-abandoned theater, Toland said.
“We really appreciate Sen. Jerry Moran and the Kansas delegation supporting rural projects like ours in Iola, as well as statewide,” she said. “These projects are important to keeping small towns attractive and economically viable.”
The funds earmarked for “Community Projects” are under the umbrella of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Though the legislation was approved in April, it’s not been until now that the group can begin the process of looking as to how to turn their dreams into reality. They’ve already begun that process, recently posting a Request for Qualifications to hire the necessary experts to oversee the project.
The building closed as a theater in 2001. From there it was owned by The One, a local religious group, who then leased it to Fellowship Regional Church for a time.
Beth’s husband, David Toland, and the late Jim Smith purchased the theater in 2013. In 2022, they donated it to the newly created Iola Theatre Association, Inc.
