Renovations delayed on old Lockport Opera House building downtown

Lockport — Renovations on a historic downtown Lockport building have been delayed as the owners seek tenants to occupy the restored space.

Lockport Community Economic Development Director Lance Thies said the old Norton Opera House building, 1000 S. State St., “is taking longer than originally anticipated” and that the owners are “working to be very selective with the operators they bring in as tenants.”

The building was approved for renovation in 2021 after it sustained damage during a fire.

Part of the renovation, aside from repairing the fire-damaged windows and roof, involved restoring the building to its original two-story height and removing the third floor, which was added to the historic limestone structure in the 1950s.

When the project is finished, Thies said, the owners intend to have a restaurant on the first floor and a banquet facility on the second floor.

Thies said that “the timeframe for completion is unknown” at this point, as the owners are waiting to find tenants before completing the interior rebuild.

“They’re mostly waiting for tenants to be confirmed so they don’t build out without their specs,” he said. “The owners also purchased the adjacent building that houses Tallgrass, and they have been focused on getting that restaurant back up and running and the interior remodeled now, inclusive of the outdoor patio that was recently installed.”