The latest stage in the overhaul of Auburn High School was unveiled last Sunday when the Auburn Symphony Orchestra filled the remodeled Performing Arts Center with classical music during its season-opening concert.
About the only aspect of the facility, which was closed during the 2013-14 school year, that is unchanged is the square footage. But many aspects inside — and outside — received an extensive overhaul as part of the $80 million bond passed in November 2012 to build a new high school.
Jeff Grose, Auburn School District’s executive director of capital projects, said the entrance to the 22,000-square-foot facility now is located on Fourth Street Northeast. He said the change made it more visible than in the past when it was located in the middle of the high school campus and also improved the parking situation.
Grose said that is important because the facility has been “one of the busiest theaters in King County” since it opened in 1980. He said the parking lot adjacent to the theater has 400 parking stalls. Before, Grose said, there were 220 spaces.
Pam Smith, who has been the district’s theater director for 18 years, expects that lot to be open in November.
The bigger parking lot is just one of several enhancements.
“I think the first big thing people will notice is the lobby,” Grose said. “Before it was a shared space with the student commons and cafeteria. Now it is a distinct lobby that is totally rebuilt.”
An elevator to the balcony was added along with restrooms on that level. Visitors to the facility, which has featured an array of uses ranging from body-building competitions to plays, will see many changes inside. There is a new curtain, carpet, seats and sound system. Grose especially is pleased with the multicolored seats that “lean toward rich red.”
“Not every seat is the same,” he said. “All complement each other. It doesn’t look so plain. And when you don’t have a full house it doesn’t look so empty.”
For convenience, Grose said a center aisle was added to make it easier for guests to exit. The only exit lanes in the past were on each side of the theater. That modification reduced the theater’s capacity from 1,057 to 937, but Smith said it remains the largest PAC south of Seattle in King County.
Some changes might not be quite as noticeable to patrons. Grose said there were “a number of code-related upgrades,” including replacing wiring and the roof and other enhancements to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act.
He said there also are improvements entertainers will appreciate beyond the sound system.
“We added an enclosed loading area that is big enough to drive a semi-truck through,” he said. “It’s almost like a big garage. That’s a huge amenity that we didn’t have before.”
The original PAC was functional for 34 years. But Grose believes the upgrades will enable the PAC to survive “for probably another 50 years — easy.”
Smith said workers still are busy putting “finishing touches” on the theater. She said they were busy working on lighting when the Auburn Symphony Orchestra arrived.
But Smith, who sat on design meetings for five years, said she loves the facility’s new look.
“We have bright windows and a beautiful grand entrance,” she said. “It’s just absolutely gorgeous.”
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PHOTO BELOW:
Auburn’s new-look Performing Arts Center features a distinct lobby. RACHEL CIAMPI, Auburn Reporter
