Investments aim to revitalize Rogers
ROGERS — Recent investments in downtown Rogers are aimed at providing places residents can work, live and be entertained.
Efforts include renovations to existing buildings, some of which have already been completed, and new projects that seek to bring more residential and business spaces to the area.
Pat Metheny performed Wednesday at the Victory Theater in its debut show since the completion of recent renovations. The renovation work totaling over $2.5 million added seating and upgraded the sound and light systems.
The city bought the theater in 2008 and completed exterior renovations in 2013 and 2021, according to the theater’s website. The recent interior renovation was partially funded by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
The city’s website says the renovation preserves the theater’s charm while introducing modern amenities. The Victory will be 100 years old in 2027.
Travis Pennington, a Rogers native, said seeing the venue open back up is exciting. Pennington said he remembers his family members performing there when he was a youth. Pennington attended the Pat Metheny performance with his wife and in-laws.
The venue’s calendar currently shows five more bookings for the year.
The Arkansas Public Theatre also resides at the Victory Theater. This gives residents the opportunity to see and perform in live theater. The group’s adaptation of the musical “Into the Woods” begins April 5.
Work has been done to the property at 102, 104 and 106 W. Walnut St., also known as the Opera House, but it is still not finished, said Dominic Smith, owner of Dandy Roll, a home goods store at 107 W. Walnut St. The two buildings face each other on opposite sides of Walnut.
In February 2023, Smith and other neighboring store owners were concerned the appearance of the Opera House building was deterring business from their stores. At that time, the building had been under renovation for years with minimal progress.
John Mack, property owner of the Opera House and an architect, said the exterior of the building is currently being finished and structural interior elements have been added.
Smith said the progress in construction has made a “world of difference” in recent months. In the past year, Smith and his wife, Courtney Smith, have opened a book store, Underbrush Books, at the Parlour Room, an additional storefront on Walnut.
Karen Wagaman, vice president of downtown development at the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce, said work on the building is progressing though some of that progress might be unseen by the public.
The film “The Underneath: In Fortune’s Shad- ow,” featuring Theo Rossi and Michael Rooker, has been shooting scenes in the building. The crew has been filming in Northwest Arkansas for the past 15 days, Mack said.
Smith said the film crew has bought props for the movie from his store.
The storefront won’t be empty much longer. Mack said the downstairs portion of the building has been leased to a future retail tenant.
The building at 117 W. Walnut is currently on the market. The 8,648-squarefoot building was built in 1898 and has been many different things since. The space originally was a hardware store owned by T.J. Keller in 1890. Most recently, it was an Irish pub.
Several mixed-use buildings are planned for downtown as shown in the city’s large-scale and subdivision plan. The projects will include urban developments planned to be regional activity hubs with livable spaces, retail and art, according to the Rogers Comprehensive Growth Map.
Plans for Rogers 1st Street, a project at 401 N. First St., show four buildings that will be used for multifamily residential living and retail space. Another development planned for downtown is Ritter and Spool, a two-building proposal that aims to provide 45 livable units along with recreation and retail space.
“I would love to see the projects that have started be completed,” Smith said. “There’s a lot coming. I’m just ready for it to be here.”