Omaha Technical High School
1923 - 1984
Donations & Grants
The projected cost of our auditorium renovation is nearing $3,000,000.00 (3-million-dollars). The Auditorium Restoration Committee has a number of fundraising projects already in progress. However, to help reach our goal, we seek donations and grants.
Concept:
When our school first opened, it was called Commerce High. In 1923, a new school was built to better handle the high influx of students seeking admission to our school. It was called Omaha Technical High School. It was thought to be the best-equipped school west of Chicago. The school served the community for 61 years before closing in 1984. Upon the closing of the school in 1984, a complete building renovation took place, with the exception of the Main Lobby and the School Auditorium. Once housed in Omaha's Joslyn Castle, the Board of Education now occupies our old school.
Now referred to as "TAC" (Teacher Administration Center), the building serves as a home for the Omaha Board of Education. It also serves as home for the Career Center and Adult Education programs. It serves over 700 Omaha Public School students daily.
Because of the vast number of students that attended our school, coupled with the high impact Tech had on the Omaha, Nebraska community, while the school may have closed, the legacy lives on. Administrators, Architects, former alumni, and others involved in the building renovation, recognized the importance of preserving one of Omaha's true landmarks. To this end, a group of former alumni, Administrators and former Teachers developed the Omaha Tech High Auditorium Restoration Committee.
Our goal is to raise a projected $3,000,000.00 (3-million-dollars) needed for a complete renovation of the school auditorium.
Program:
The Auditorium Restoration Committee has enacted a number of fund raising projects to help reach our goal, but we need grants and donations to further guarantee a timely resolution of our goal.
The committee has already received a number of proposals from architectural firms interested in the preservation of our old auditorium.
While Omaha boasts of its new convention center (Quest), the Omaha Civic Auditorium, the Rose Theatre, the Music Hall, the Orpheum Theatre, the Performing Arts Center, and many others, the community still uses the old Tech auditorium. Many factions within our community have expressed a sincere desire to use our facility, and upon completion of the renovation, they have expressed a desire for regular, continued use of our auditorium. More than simply preserving one of Omaha's true landmarks, the interest displayed by former alumni and the community at-large, shows a need and desire for our project.
Expense:
As previously stated, we anticipate a projected cost of $3,000,000.00 (3-million-dollars) to complete our renovation project.
We are a very small, but intense faction, working to raise the funds for our project. While the committee sponsors a number of small events to raise money (the formation of the "Tech Hall of Fame," and merchandise sales) we still need big-dollar grants and donations to realize our goal.
The Committee is actively seeking entities to participate in our project. We would graciously accept any grants or donations of any kind, including matching-fund grants.
Upon completion of the renovation of the auditorium, we would be able to further continue, on a more regular basis, the ability to lease our facility to any number of factions desiring to use our auditorium.
For information on making donations & grants, please contact: Rose Baker - Tech High Auditorium Restoration Committee - PO Box 31434, Omaha, NE 68132-2500
This page was last modified on Wednesday, February 15, 2006; at 1:23:36 AM
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