The historic building once known as Apel’s Opera House has been a funeral home, theater, feed and grain store, stove factory, furniture showroom and tractor repair shop, and a developer now wants to remodel it for a new use: housing.
John Mariolis’ OTB Properties proposes to do a large-scale interior conversion to create 28 apartments while maintaining the original architecture and historic features of the four-story building in Manchester.
“The history definitely intrigued me. I want the units to be a mix of modern finishes but also have the old historic look — exposed bricks and beams and columns, as much as we can do,” Mariolis told The Courant on Thursday. “Old meets new.”
The four-story brick building is about 125 years old, built as the replacement to Bernard C. Apel’s original theater that burned down in 1899, according to the Manchester Historical Society.
Apel in 1888 constructed the building at Oakland Street and Apel Place to house his woodworking and furniture manufacturing operation, along with a second business: undertaking. Apel ran a funeral home in part of the stucture, constructed caskets and did woodwork for hearses as well.
The building also served as an important community gathering place in Manchester. Although the “opera house” name was aspirational, it hosted plays, dances, bazaars and school graduations, and also was rented out to fraternal groups and religious organizations for meetings, fundraisers and rallies.
Most recently, CCC Feeds and Farm Supplies was selling agricultural products until it closed about nine years ago, and Leaps & Bones pet supply shop moved out last winter. The building was put on the market this spring as a potential site for residential development.
Mariolis told the town he believes his plan can benefit Manchester and save a historic building.
The location of Apel’s Opera House in Manchester, where a developer plans a transition to apartments. (Courtesy of Town of Manchester)
“It is currently vacant and under-utilized, but structurally sound and well-suited for adaptive reuse,” he said in a letter to local leaders. “The vision for this project is to transform the building into a high-quality residential development that contributes to the ongoing revitalization of the area and provide much-needed housing options for the community.”
Mariolis anticipates filing for zoning permits as soon as this month. He has told the inland wetlands commission that he would create 23 one-bedroom units and five two-bedroom ones.
“This work will include full interior rehabilitation, exterior facade restoration in keeping with the building’s historical character, and major infractructure upgrades including new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems,” he wrote in a letter. “The project will also incorporate sustainability measures and modest site work improvements to support accessibility and functionality.”
He said he plans to close on his purchase of the property after receiving all municipal approvals. Construction could begin as early as this fall and would take 10 to 12 months, he estimated. The target date for leasing to prospective tenants is late 2026 or early 2027.
Financing will be a mix of private monies and public incentives including state and federal historic preservation tax credits, he said.
