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The Opera House Project

It is interesting that local citizens want to make a big deal about who contributed to the Opera House restoration project. There are many wonderful citizens who stepped up to the plate and provided contributions. Many businesses throughout the community and new businesses that have gained from being in the community have contributed. When a new business comes to Junction City, one of the first things they ask is what can they do to help the community. I give them a list of items to choose from. We have had donations to the local United Way, Governor’s Golf Classic, Healthcare Foundation, Spin City, Law Enforcement Memorial, Opera House, Arts Council and many other wonderful Junction City organizations. What do the businesses get in return? They get the satisfaction that they are giving back to the community and helping make it a better place.

I discussed the Opera House project many times with the late Russell Johnson. As projects developed in the community, Russ would share ideas on how we could complete civic projects. He contributed to making the fountain in Heritage Park functional. He provided the funds for the Heritage Park restrooms. He was an amazing man. I would sit down with him and, like no other person I have known, he could brainstorm a project from start to finish. He was instrumental in developing the convention center even though he and I had a great disagreement on the land acquisition. That was the amazing thing about Russ. We could have a disagreement and ultimately work out our differences for the betterment of the community.

One such discussion was the Opera House contribution from Russ and Kathy Johnson. Russ was not overjoyed with helping raise the funds for the Opera House. I did not pester him. I presented the case for the contribution and I asked for $250,000. He laughed and never said no, but went about figuring out how he could make it happen. He had conversations with his attorney, Steve Struebing, his accountant, Calvin Pottberg, and with Richard Rothfuss of R & R Developers. He came up with a plan. If the City would help develop the East Ash Street extension and get his land ready for development, he would use proceeds from the dirt and land sale to make a contribution to the Opera House. Russ saw this as a win/win for everybody and the City Commission certainly was pleased to have both projects moving forward.

Unfortunately, Russ died before that first contribution to the Opera House occurred and before Riverwalk Landing was completed. His widow, Kathy Johnson, honored his pledge and made a three-year commitment of $250,000 to the Opera House. She made the first contribution in December, 2006 of a little over $83,000. It is now up to the heirs to consider completing Russ’s wish of helping the community and completing the East Ash project. It is my understanding that they do not plan to complete that obligation. Instead, they plan to work towards stopping the progress on the Opera House. In addition, there are those that say the City Manager gave favors to contractors and developers that contributed to the Opera House. I guarantee the citizens of Junction City that I made no deals with anyone to receive contributions for the Opera House. And the Opera House project is moving forward using a number of funding options despite the controversy in the community.

In 1992, a consultant hired by the City to study ways to improve the downtown advised that solutions had to be found for the Bartell House and the Opera House. The City Commission since that time has made those improvements to those facilities a priority. We have the beautiful restored Bartell House as a result of this effort. In July, we will have completed the restoration of the Opera House, one of the most historically significant buildings in downtown. The project will happen because the staff for the City of Junction City was innovative in finding a solution that did not cost the taxpayer dollars. We raised private donations, sought out grants, and used state and federal historic tax credits to bring back to life that historic monument of our past.

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