The building now known as Co-op Plaza was once the Empress Theatre. Its construction in 1927 caused a furor because it was the town’s first structure to be built of reinforced concrete, and people believed that concrete would crumble in the cold Fairbanks winter. The theater could seat 670 people and opened to a packed house of 1,300 people on August 25, 1927. In 1961, the movie theater closed, and the building was remodeled for use as the Co-op Drug Store; today, it houses a diner, coffee shop and unique gift stores.
