Set amid the white marble flooring is a black stone with the words Laramar Ballroom written in a golden color upon it.

That is but one of the features added to the nearly 120 year old building by its new owners.

Following a year’s worth of work by new owners Laramar Acquisition Co. LLC, the renovated landmark debuted Thursday evening with a ribbon cutting conducted by the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Ambassadors followed by a dinner and a show by Brady O’Brien Live.

Kim Quade, the creative director of Brady O’Brien Live, said she was instructed not to use the word done when talking about the renovations.

- Messenger photo by Bill Shea
One of the first things people will see upon stepping into the newly renovated Laramar Ballroom is this stone in the floor, which will remind them of exactly where they are.

“This is not done,” she told the hundreds of people gathered in the spacious main room.”This is just the beginning of this huge transformation.”

“It’s a beautiful space,” she added. “A lot of work has gone into this.”

She said the space will be “constantly changing.”

The building at 710 First Ave. N. was built in 1904 and first served as a National Guard Armory. After the soldiers moved elsewhere, it became an entertainment venue.

It has had several names over the decades but Laramar Ballroom is the one that stuck. That name is a combination of the first names of Larry and Margaret Greer, who bought the building in 1938.

- Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Representatives of Brady O'Brien Live and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance prepare to snip a ceremonial ribbon Thursday evening to mark the opening of the renovated Laramar Ballroom.

It has been the site of numerous dances and concerts, perhaps the most notable of which featured Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson a couple days before their 1959 deaths in a plane crash near Clear lake.

Chris O’Brien, Brady O’Brien and Joe Tuel formed Laramar Acquisition Co. LLC in 2022 and bought the building in June of that year, potentially saving it from demolition.

Casey Johnson, speaking on behalf of the Growth Alliance Ambassadors, called Thursday evening’s event “a historic night for Fort Dodge.”

He noted the economic impact that reviving the ballroom will have.

“Investing in our downtown area is what makes us thrive,” Johnson said.

- Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Kim Quade, the creative director of Brady O'Brien Live, talks about the renovation of the Laramar Ballroom Thursday evening during a ribbon cutting ceremony there.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Ronley King, of Fort Dodge, plays a solo during The Laramar Ballroom grand opening on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Mikeal Campbell, of Fort Dodge, sings during The Laramar Ballroom grand opening on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Jerry Morlan and Jane Morla, of Manson, dance to Brady O’Brien during The Laramar Ballroom grand opening on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The Laramar Ballroom grand opening on Thursday attracted a crowd.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Joyce Rosenquist, of New York, dances at The Laramar Ballroom grand opening on Thursday in Fort Dodge.