Auditorium renovations
Upgrades totaling $2.3 million to the Dave Finkelman Auditorium at Miami University Middletown include:
Two small additions to the outside of the building to accommodate corridors, elevators and expanded restroom facilities.
Modifying seating to provide for increased accessibility from multiple viewing locations
Replacement of the existing roof
MIDDLETOWN — Miami University’s board of trustees approved plans Friday for $2.3 million in renovations at Miami Middletown’s Dave Finkelman Auditorium.
Finkelman’s upgrades — including a new roof, improved restrooms and seating — are tied to increased accessibility to better meet the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The point of the building is not to change the building aesthetically,” said Chuck Mack, MUM’s senior director of campus operations. “We will be true to the original architect’s intent in the modifications we make.”
Renovations will begin in June and are expected to be completed by April 2012.
The roof will not change shape, but the existing single-ply roof will be replaced by a new roofing system that would have a longer life. The campus hopes to receive bids this April, Mack said.
The approved amount for the project is $2,310,000 and will paid for by state capital appropriations, which are state funds designated for long-term building projects on a two-year basis.
“This represents money over a couple bienniums, so we had to save up for that,” Mack said.
The 750-seat auditorium was built in 1969. It cost $1,216,367 to build.
“The building has been very well taken care of since 1969,” said Jan Toennisson, director of public affairs. “We’ve replaced the roof, sound system and lighting but that’s about all. The changes that we are getting ready to make will put us in good shape for the next 40 years.”
Toennisson said MUM will try to keep the disruptions to a minimum during the construction process.
“We have been rescheduling events and letting people know that this downtime was coming,” she said. “Out Fantastic Free Fridays series will go out to the schools next year and the Artist and Lecture Series will be using the Campus and Community Center in Johnston Hall.”
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