Sept. 18, 2018

The El Riad Shrine is turning the need to repair the exterior stucco into an opportunity to give the building a face-lift.

The stucco on the building on Phillips Avenue north of 14th Street was starting to come loose, so the organization decided to upgrade to a more contemporary Dryvit-style finish, said Joel Baker, building manager.

“It’s the new-looking stucco,” Baker said. “We’re going to change up the look. We’ll be incorporating some new colors, but it’s not a whole lot of change.”

The building was constructed in 1925 as the Arkota Ballroom. It closed in 1980, and the Shriners bought the property shortly after that.

“While it’s not on a historic list, we still don’t want to change it up too much,” Baker said.

In addition to hosting gatherings for the Shriners and events that are open to the public such as the El Riad Fife & Drum’s annual St. Patty’s Day Bash, the space is leased for wedding receptions and other private gatherings.

The work is expected to be completed in October if the weather cooperates.