Officials will celebrate the grand reopening of the Kress Building, 1406 11th Ave. in downtown Altoona at 5 p.m. Oct. 9.

The Kress Building, originally designed in the early 20th century with Art Deco architectural influence, was opened as a 5-10-25-cent store in downtown Altoona in 1922. Today, following a two-year full renovation project by American Chestnut Real Estate Group, the building has been restored to its historic beginnings.

The building contains three floors with more than 18,000 total square feet of space and is now a key anchor building contributing to the revitalization of downtown Altoona. The building in the Historic District of downtown Altoona has been restored to the historic standards of the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission and the National Park Service.

The building’s second floor features Lofts on Eleventh, which are loft-style apartments with a contemporary design. The first and lower levels of The Kress Building offer prime commercial space, ideal for retail, dining, or office use.

L.S. Fiore Inc. was the contractor that completed the renovations. The EADS Group served as the guiding architect and project manager.

S.H. Kress & Company, based out of New York, operated five-and-dime stores in more than 200 communities along the east coast of the U.S. The Altoona location was opened in 1922, then renovated in 1952. When the appeal of the stores faded, the company was sold in 1964, with liquidations and closures taking place in 1980.