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Rowland + Broughton is the local architect leading community involvement in the expansion of the Wheeler Opera House. The design team is led by Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC of Princeton, New Jersey; a nationally recognized firm for their work in historic preservation, renovation, and adaptive reuse. The project will implement the 21st Century Master Plan for the Wheeler Opera House, including expansion onto an adjacent 6,000 square foot lot that the city purchased for additional performance facilities in 1982. The Wheeler Opera House provides a venue for a wide variety of organizations and performances and is the Roaring Fork Valley's premiere site for concerts, lectures, community events, films and opera. Built in 1889 and funded by Jerome Wheeler, the opera house originally housed (in addition to the theater) a bank, haberdashery, women’s clothing store, a mining and smelting company, dentist offices, attorney offices, and a basement barbershop. The expansion will have multiple program requirements including a new 300 seat theater, a new box office, expanded lobby, new administrative offices and additional performing space. The expansion building will utilize sustainable building practices and will architecturally honor the historic Wheeler Opera House.