Fundraising is underway to help finance demolition of three buildings in downtown Villisca. One of the buildings — the Rialoto (ree-AL-toh) Theater — has been a landmark in the southwest Iowa community. Villisca City Councilman Tripp Narup (NAIR-up) is president of the Rialto Board.

The Rialto was closed in 2017. Narup says it’s a miracle the theater has stood as long as it has.

The price tag to just fix the theater’s structural issues was 850-thousand dollars. The two buildings on either side of the theater are attached and are targeted for demolition as well. A second phase of the project calls for construction of a covered outdoor space for community activities like concerts, plays and the farmer’s market in Villisca.

The Iowa West Foundation has awarded a 100-thousand dollar grant to help finance demolition of the buildings, but the grant comes with a requirement that another 25-thousand dollars be raised locally for the tear down phase.