Vigo County’s Capital Improvement Board has hired an Indianapolis-based architectural and interior design firm to create a feasibility study for renovating the Indiana Theatre, which can be seen here earlier this year. Tribune-Star file/Joseph C. Garza
The Vigo County Capital Improvement Board on Wednesday learned that renovating the Indiana Theatre will come with a hefty price tag to the tune of $28,699,844.
Representatives from StudioAXIS attended the meeting to provide that figure.
Kevin Cooper, a StudioAXIS partner originally from Terre Haute, joined his colleagues in saying that the theater was in pretty good condition for a 100-yearold building, but had many issues that had to be addressed.
Logan Cook assessed the building’s physical aspects.
He called water the theater’s “worst enemy,” and said that replacing the roof had to be considered a “priority.”
Lead architect Kurt Green said the building’s existing stairs are inadequate, that new restrooms were “imperative” and that the theater could use a drop-off zone for patrons.
Moreover, the lobby is not large enough for what is projected to be a 1,500-seat theater, so it would have to be expanded. The building has antiquated plumbing and mechanical issues which require a complete restoration.
Sound in the theater could prove a challenge, as a movie theater has far different acoustical needs than an orchestral concert venue. And the theater’s stage lacks the depth that some touring theatrical productions would require.
Construction work will cost $22,399,480, with an additional $6 million covering furniture, fixtures and equipment. That translates into a cost of $450 per square foot, which Cooper called “lower than expected” for renovating the theater. Building a new theater from scratch would cost three times the $28 million StudioAXIS estimated for the project, he added.
Karen Dyer, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau, asked StudioAXIS if they had studied what revenues the theater was projected to earn, wondering what the return on investment would be.
“We can’t afford to fix it just to fix it,” Dyer said. Cooper said his group would look into her request.
Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun had similar thoughts.
“What is our end goal?” he asked. “To open the theater or to have the Taj Mahal of theaters?” He recommended value engineering and said a split in private and public investment would be necessary.
C IB Vice President Terri Conley told StudioAXIS reps that a more thoroughly itemized budget would be necessary in seeking philanthropic grants. StudioAXIS’ slide-show presentation was expected to be found at vigocountycib. com by Thursday.
In other business, Terre Haute Convention Center general manager Tennille Wanner provided numbers for the Larry Bird Museum, which opened on May 31. From the opening through the month of June, 1, 910 patrons had toured the venue to learn more about Larry Legend’s life and legacy. Though it’s recommended that people book a visiting time in advance online, there were more than 600 walk-ins during that time.
Bird spoke at the museum’s grand opening, which was surrounded with much hoopla. Sakbun noted, “You don’t often get a Blue Angels flyover at a museum opening.”
Wanner also reported that June saw 16 events at the Convention Center that generated $105,759 in revenue, including parking. She said that Joink had arranged for the parking garage to take payment upon entry from patrons attending large events at the Convention Center rather than accepting it at the exit. That tweak will expedite leaving the venue and prevent sizable lines of traffic within the garage.
The June CIB meeting was canceled due to destructive storms the day before. The next meeting will be Aug. 21.
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