The historic renovation of Bent’s Opera House in Medina, N.Y. has received a 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of NYS. Since 1984, the League’s annual Excellence Awards program has shined a light on the people who are using historic preservation to make all our lives better — through exemplary restoration projects, indispensable publications, individual action, and organizational distinction.
Built over 150 years ago, Bent’s Opera House once hosted speakers like Frederick Douglass and entertainers like Buffalo Bill Cody. After the theater closed, the building served the community in a variety of ways until the 1990s. Bent’s was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, but by 2010 it was abandoned and in imminent danger of collapsing. Local developers Talis Equity, led by Roger Hunderford, had a vision to give Bent’s new life.
“It was an honor to work with Talis Equity on the restoration of Bent’s Opera House,” said LeChase Regional Operations Manager Jeff Panza. “At LeChase, we take great pride in projects that have a positive impact within their communities, and this historic restoration has given new life to an important cornerstone of Medina’s downtown business district.”
LeChase served as construction manager on the project, partnering with Kideney Architects to rehabilitate the historic building into a modern destination. Today, the facility includes an upscale, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a boutique hotel with 10 uniquely themed rooms, and a beautifully restored theater for private and public gatherings.
For news of the award on orleans.hub.com, click here. For more about the 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards, click here. For more about Bent’s Opera House today, click here.
