The completion of a wrap-around mural on the Coliseum Theater building’s second story last week marks another step in its long refurbishment process.

Chris Thorgesen, the building’s owner and operator of a chiropractic clinic across the street, commissioned the artwork.

“My vision was to stop looking at the dilapidated building across the street,” Thorgesen said.

Thorgesen, who bought the Coliseum Theater building in April 2015 after six years of vacancy, said there is much more work to do.

“Right now we’re just fixing things that need to be fixed, like putting in an extra bathroom, fixing the leaks, the plumbing,” Thorgesen said. “We’re hoping to get rid of that fence and maybe put in an outdoor dining area,” he said. “(But) you can only afford to do so much at one time.”

How much have improvements to the building cost so far? Thorgesen wouldn’t say. “It would make me cry if I thought about it,” he said.

Currently, the building houses Frontier Tradesmen, an indoor market where vendors sell locally made crafts and food. But the space’s future is not clear.

“We were toying with the idea of retail, but retail doesn’t seem to be paying off right now,” Thorgesen said. “I’m open to comments and suggestions from people for what they’d like to see there.”

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