Howell Opera House First Floor Renovation

Catalyst Project Description: The Howell Opera House First Floor Renovation project rehabilitated the lower floor of the historic, 125-year-old Opera House so that the space can be used as a center for community arts, community meetings, and as a home for the Livingston Arts Council.

Highlights:

• The project is sustainable and provides an environment for recurring rental revenue. The Cool Cities grant helped with finishing the project and provided a home for the arts in Livingston County.
• Last year 16,000-plus people visited the Opera House, and in doing so, they have supported local businesses. 
• The Opera House has been supported by the Livingston Fine Arts Association, Howell DDA, Chamber of Commerce, Howell Library, Brighton Art Guild, and the Howell Photo Club, as well as receiving community-wide support not only from the Howell community itself but all the communities in Livingston County. 
• On average, 500 additional people visited Downtown Howell per week. 
• People generally make a point of walking downtown and coming past the Opera House. They like to look in the windows; it’s usually a special attraction, and it didn’t used to be in the past.