Gillioz renovations enter final run

Dubbed Encore 2006, the reopening event will feature a series of events marking the first performances at the 1926-built theater since 1980.

Nancy Brown Dornan, president of the theater’s board of directors, said Missouri State University and local arts and theater groups would take part in the celebration. The activities should include visual art, performance art, film and public speaking, though Dornan said most specific events aren’t yet set.

Tom Croley, board member and owner of Croley Insurance and Financial Inc., said the week would begin with a 1920s-style vaudeville act.

“It should be absolutely super,” he said.

Restoration efforts have been in the works since 1990, when the Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust bought the Gillioz for $85,000.

Dornan said major construction on the $8.5 million project has been ongoing for the last six years, slow to finish because the board decided to avoid debt in the process.

Board member Allen Casey, owner of architectural firm The Casey Associates Inc., said restoring the Gillioz is well worth the effort.

“It’s really a masterpiece,” he said. “It’s a crowned jewel for downtown Springfield.”

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