The Mauch Chunk Opera House has secured over $169,000 for a much needed face-lift.

State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Carbon, and state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, announced last week that the opera house in Jim Thorpe will receive $169,069 from the Monroe County Local Share Accounts grants for upgrades and renovations to the building.

“We’ve never gotten a grant like this before,” said Vincent DeGiosio, representative for the Mauch Chunk Opera House.

The upgrade on the top of the opera house’s list, DeGiosio said, will be installing a new air-conditioning system.

“The biggest issue we have is climate control in the opera house,” he said, adding that the goal of the project is to install air conditioning throughout the building.

Upgrades also include a complete overhaul of the house’s sound system, renovations to its bathrooms, new stage curtains and more.

“We’ve been planning for this for years, and when I heard about the opportunity — that we might have a shot at this I thought, ‘you know, this could be it,’ ” DeGiosio said.

“We do have the sound system picked out. It’s being designed right now, and the air conditioning system as well. Now we can start to actually move forward with that, and hopefully make it a reality by the summer.”

In September, Carbon County applied for the money on the opera house’s behalf.

“I am excited to work with the senator and local leaders in securing the state funding for these much-needed projects in our communities,” Heffley said. “I will continue to do what I can in Harrisburg to ensure that state dollars are allocated to Carbon County for public safety and infrastructure improvements that help to enhance our quality of life.”

“This grant is going to put us over the top,” Bob Yevak, president of Mauch Chunk Historical Society, said, adding that support from Yudichak, Heffley and the Carbon County Commissioners was instrumental in obtaining the grant for the opera house.

“It was a team effort,” he said.

Built in 1881, the opera house, at 14 W. Broadway, offers a variety of entertainment, from music to theater.

Recent improvements include new seating, a steel roof, revamped sound and stage lighting, major electrical improvements, interior and exterior repainting, and extensive lobby/gallery remodeling.

The Mauch Chunk Opera House is a nonprofit organization and music venue that seats approximately 380 people and brings approximately 25,000 people per year to downtown Jim Thorpe and Carbon County.

“I really have to thank the people who come out and support the opera house,” DeGiosio said. “If we didn’t have that encouragement, to have the crowds come out all the time and really enjoy the town and really enjoy the opera house — I mean, we couldn’t even really be doing this.”