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RESERVE — St. John the Baptist Parish has opened bids for Hurricane Ida disaster repairs at the historic St. John Theatre in Reserve.

The scope of work includes refinishing the stage, permanent repairs to the interior finishes, replacement of the roof, and repair and/or replacement of water damaged ceilings, walls, trim and flooring.

Repairs are expected to be complete within 120 calendar days from the time the bid is awarded.

Bids are open through 9:45 a.m. on May 3, and a mandatory pre-bid conference is being held at St. John Theatre, 115 W. Fourth St. in Reserve, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 21.

Originally known to the community as Maurin’s Theatre, St. John Theatre has been a fixture in Reserve since 1931. The old movie house gained new life with renovations and the staging of musical “South Pacific” in July 1981. In October of the following year, St. John Theatre was designated as the “cultural and civic center” of St. John the Baptist Parish.

St. John Theatre has maintained a presence in the community despite the building being devastated by Ida.

The lawn of the theater housed a fresh produce farmer’s market in the weeks after the hurricane, when most stores remained closed and food was hard to come by. The St. John Theatre family also hosted the Selah Productions food distribution in September and participated in a large-scale turkey giveaway in November. Several members of the Board of Directors volunteered with Cargill, Mercy Chefs and Blessed to Be a Blessing to serve Thanksgiving meals to thousands of local families.

While planning for the next theatrical production is still on hold, St. John Theatre is raising funds for its valiant return with a Spring Craft Sale to be held on the front lawn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

For more information, visit stjohntheatre.com.