Rooftop venue planned at 96-year-old Walker Theatre

A rooftop venue at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., is projected to open in 2024, pending fundraising efforts. (Rendering provided by the Madam Walker Legacy Center)

A rooftop performance and event venue is planned at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, the historic building at 617 Indiana Ave that opened in 1927.

Expected to cost $2 million, the renovation atop the four-story building received a $250,000 seed-funding grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Kristian Little-Stricklen, president of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, unveiled plans for the rooftop project during the Walker’s June 16 Legacy Fest highlighted by a Gladys Knight concert.

Little-Stricklen said the rooftop venue initially was intended to be part of building-wide renovations made from late 2018 through early 2021, but the space expected to be used for arts performances and rental events shifted to a “phase two” priority.

“It’s something we are excited about,” Little-Stricklen said. “We applied to receive the seed funding, and thankfully the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust agreed that it would be an amazing opportunity.”

The building’s elevator already provides access to the roof, Little-Stricklen said. The outdoor venue, likely to have a capacity around 100, will be integrated with the base of the building’s signature red “Walker Theatre” sign.

Members of the Walker board are finalizing a feasibility study for the rooftop renovation, Little-Stricklen said. Financing beyond the $250,000 Pulliam grant will be generated through fundraising, she said.

Pending those fundraising efforts, the rooftop venue is expected to open in 2024.

“Our ultimate goal is to be self-sustainable,” Little-Stricklen said. “The Walker is here to stay, but also to thrive. This will be another venue space and revenue generator. While we are small in size compared to other venues in town, we want to continue to be an option.”

The building renovations that began in 2018 were funded via a $15 million initiative involving Indiana University and the Lilly Endowment.

The four-story, 48,000-square-foot Walker building houses the theater, a ballroom and several offices. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the building was planned by hair care entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker. She died in 1919, eight years before the building opened.