Remodeling Started!

Week 1

We finally — finally — got our Building Permit on May 3rd. That week, with the help of many volunteers, we cleared out some old storage rooms and began demolition work, tearing down the suspended ceilings & lights fixtures. Oh my, we have a ton of junk to move to make room for the contractors.

Week 2

On May 14th, sadly, our AC units for the ballroom and cabaret were disconnected; they need to be out of the way for building a handicap access ramp. It’s is getting warm here! More demolition work. The old bathrooms are gone. Piece by piece we tear out block walls, tiles, bathroom fixtures, the suspended ceiling, and lots & lots of pipes. Check out the slideshow below:
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Week 3

Another block wall bites the dust and the plumbers cut in the concrete to install new bathroom drains for 6 stalls, 5 sinks, and 3 urinals. It’s a big improvement over the 2 sinks and 2 stalls we had. Outside, a big ol’ trench was excavated for the handicap access ramp.

Week 4

We tore out another block wall. Now the entire space for the bar and lounge area is opened up — and a mess. Concrete was poured for the new handicap access ramp and, on the 28th, in the cabaret bathrooms, sealing up the new drain pipes. In the ballroom, the old windows were removed & the openings re-framed, a hole was cut in the floor for new staircase on the 25th, and the entire backstage area cleared out by the 28th. Bob has been a demolition demon with a Saws-All and claw hammer. Now, no more stairs to a baptismal and the ‘baptuzzi’ is gone! We also got the last of the scene-shop stuff and maintenance supplies from the storage rooms moved over to the warehouse on Permalume.

Remodeling continues in June…

Blueprints

Here are some schematics of the renovation work we have planned. The blue areas are where we are doing work. The cabaret will be getting a lobby area, a bar, and a lot more bathroom capacity. There will even be a bathroom off the green room for performers. Accessibility is being improved with a handicap access ramp to the south side of the cabaret and another set stairs will be added as a fire exit.

Upstairs in the ballroom, two new bathrooms are going in the back of the room, accessible from the ballroom lobby, and the backstage area is being re-worked for better access for performers, including an on-stage door to the backstage area and access to the (downstairs) green room. We will also be walling up the big windows for better sound isolation and better insulation.