The Citizen, 2016-10-20, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016.
Blyth Memorial Hall renovations on schedule
A long way to go
The upper hall at Blyth Memorial Community Hall, which has hosted the Blyth Festival for more
than 40 years, is looking a little different than theatre -goers from the 2016 season will
remember it as the seats, floors and subflooring has all been removed as part of the
renovations of the site. By the time the Festival's 2017 season starts, new lighted flooring and
comfortable new chairs are set to be in the space shown above. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The renovations in and around
Memorial Hall are on schedule
according to representatives from
North Huron and the contractor in
charge of the job.
Recently, in an interview with The
Citizen that included a tour of the
site, North Huron Director of
Recreation and Facilities Pat
Newson and SKC Construction Site
Supervisor Kevin Klein explained
the project is on schedule and, if the
weather co-operates, all outdoor
aspects of the renovation should be
done by mid-November.
While North Huron, which owns
the structure, and the architects are
aiming for a familiar feel with the
building, according to Newson,
things will be significantly different
in the structure.
"The building is almost 100 years
old and we want to keep the
character of the space," she said.
"We're looking at wooden floors and
wooden railings in the upper hall, for
example, to modernize the space
while keeping with the aesthetic."
The space inside the lower hall, for
example, will look significantly
different.
Newson explained that the
existing Library room, the northern -
Before and after
Blyth Memorial Community Hall's lower hall will look significantly different after the ongoing
renovations are completed sometime next spring. The hall, shown above as it is now and
below as it's going to be, will see new, tiered ceilings installed as well as featuring windows
that were long -since covered over by washrooms, shown above. (Denny Scott, submitted photos)
most room in the building on the first
floor, is being replaced with a
storage room that will be attached to
the newly placed and renovated
kitchen. As part of the project, the
backstairs to the upper hall will be
removed.
The new layout also eliminates the
hall's second set of bathrooms in the
lower hall, opening up windows that
were inaccessible from the lower
hall years ago.
"That kind of feeling of being in a
basement will be gone," Newson
said. "It's going to feel like the
ground floor of the building, which it
is.,
Newson went on to explain that
the supports in the lower hall will
also be less massive than they have
been in the past. Where large two -
by -two -foot columns were the
necessity of the day the last time the
lower hall was renovated,
advancements in building
construction will allow for less
obtrusive columns.
Acoustics are being addressed
throughout the structure, Newson
said, with special attention paid to
the shared ceiling/floor between the
upper and lower hall.
"It used to be that you couldn't
have an event in the lower hall or
ground floor of the structure while a
show was going on in the upper
hall," she said. "Any noise that was
made downstairs could be heard
upstairs."
The Bainton Gallery space will
also see some renovations, with the
drywall being replaced as well as
tracks for lights installed. Newson
said the new tracks will be more
energy efficient than those being
replaced and will also offer the
chance for feature lighting.
As for the most visible part of the
renovations, the courtyard in front of
Memorial Hall, Newson and Klein
explained that significant changes
are in mind for the space which
resulted in the extensive excavation
that is occurring at the site.
Footings for the expanded lobby
space and new garden spaces as well
as drainage linked right to the storm
water system were installed, which
required the upheaval at the front of
the structure. Newson also explained
that heated sidewalks would be
installed in front of the structure,
eliminating the resources necessary
for winter maintenance of the space.
"It's going to be a nicer space,"
said Klein.
Newson agreed, saying drainage
issues that had been a problem for
the courtyard should be addressed
and, with four new banner poles
being erected, the Blyth Festival
would be able to advertise its
season's plays on main street.
"The lobby will be expanding and
the tunnel that goes between the box
office and the lobby should feel less
congested," Newson said. "We're
going to get rid of that bottleneck"
As to why these changes are
happening, Newson explained each
one of them can be traced back to a
need expressed by the renovation
committee or stakeholders over the
past two and a half years of
planning.
"A lot of the improvements will be
things that people may not have been
aware were needed or wanted,"
Newson said. "We can look at the
building and say it's great, but, when
we start asking about specific uses,
we run into the changes that need to
happen"
Newson pointed to examples such
as the soundproofing mentioned
above, the acoustics in the Bainton
Gallery, some leaks in sections of
the roof, the age of the heating,
ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) system and the fact that the
seating in the upper hall was in need
Continued on page 27
Learn the ?a,*
Blyth East Side Dance
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
Visit us on Facebook
t
Get Your Message
AROUND THE WORLD
IMMEDIATELY
If you have important papers that need
to go somewhere FAST ... use
THE CITIZEN'S
FAX MACHINE!
Our fax machine can contact any other
fax machine, in the world, instantly.
We offer this service for a cost of $1.00 per
printed sheet.
Our fax number, is also your number,
so use it to receive your messages at
$1.00 per sheet.
WE CAN RECEIVE 24 HRS. PER DAY!
This service is only available in our Blyth office