Tyrone students and fans of the performing arts will have to wait a little longer to experience Tyrone’s newly renovated main performance space.
The year-long $4 million auditorium renovation project, which was scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the school year, will not be done in time for use during the first half of the year.
According to Tyrone Director of Grounds and Maintenance Jordan Good, the new target date for opening the space is “sometime in late October or November.”
As a result, class meetings and other events scheduled for the auditorium will be moved to other locations, mainly the cafeteria.
“It’s disappointing that it’s not ready yet, but it should not cause any problems in the fall,” Tyrone Dean of Students Luke Rhoades said.
The main issue is that the replacements for the four large HVAC units that sat on the auditorium roof were not delivered on time, and the space cannot be used until the new HVAC system is in place and operating.
According to the KCBA project architect James Keiffer, the space was long overdue for a major renovation.
“The acoustics were not great, the sound system was shot, the lighting system was shot, and the AV system was shot. So it really needed a full restoration,” Keiffer said.
The new HVAC units will be located on the middle school roof, far from the auditorium seating and performance space.
“When it’s done it is going to be much quieter in here,” said Keiffer.
While not having the space for the beginning of the school year is an inconvenience, it is not something that will affect the students too much, according to Rhoades.
However, if the space cannot be opened by late November, then the holiday performances by the band and chorus might need to be moved or postponed.
“We moved our concerts and spring musical to alternate locations last year. It’s not a big deal, and it will all be worth it when the auditorium is finished,” said Tyrone’s chorus instructor Laura Harris. “ I’m really looking forward to presenting our concerts and spring musical in the new auditorium next year. I think that everyone will find it to be a first-rate performance venue.”
