LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Now that the first phase of the Beck Center for the Arts’ $6.7 million capital campaign is completed, officials are looking forward to the next few renovation projects -- designed to increase accessibility, energy efficiency and functionality -- scheduled for the century-old Detroit Avenue campus.
“This is probably the most significant campaign that the Beck Center has ever done,” said former Beck Center Board Chair Doug Hoffman, who is the co-chair of the capital campaign fundraising committee. “The completed first phase looks fantastic.
“Every time we walk people through they can’t believe that it’s the same space, which had been carved out of old retail space. Now it’s a smooth transition between portions of the newer part of the building to the older part with handicap ramps and spaces that are generously sized and are refreshed with new furniture.”
The entire scope of the capital renovation project includes updated and enlarged entryways, more accommodating public restrooms and better access to classrooms for students of all ages and abilities.
In addition, the Beck Center will convert the armory building to a Center for Music and Creative Arts Therapies, as well as improve its existing performance space. That’s the second phase of its renovations, which are scheduled to start in August.
“The former armory we purchased from the city of Lakewood many years ago is used for music education,” Hoffman said. “Once that is complete, it vacates the third building, which is a little small building on Rockway Avenue and Detroit Avenue that will eventually be taken down for what is the third phase.”
The fourth phase of renovation involves the Beck Center’s main building, which will host a new center for dance education with two brand-new state-of-the-art dance studios.
Beck Center for the Arts. (John Benson/cleveland.com)
“Our dance program is one of the biggest programs and it needs more dance space,” Hoffman said. “We’re going to take the second floor of our building and literally raise the roof by four feet, which gives us the clearance we need for dance studios. That’s probably a year or two away depending on how the cash comes in.”
The construction will allow dance education for the first time to be housed together using a total of four studio spaces. Furthermore, visual arts and theater education classrooms will also be updated.
“By the beginning of next year, we’ll have relocated our creative arts therapy program into the armory and it’ll share space with music education,” Hoffman said. “That’s sort of natural because we use music education for art therapy anyways so those two will have a whole new fresh home. Our education department will be in great shape.
“Then we’ll be pushing to do our final phase, which is the raise the roof and dance studios. Plus, we’re going to get a new entry and new entry canopy over the front. What we want is to have a marquee over our front door the same way Playhouse Square theaters have marquees. That’s another component of the final phase.”
Having recently celebrated its 85th year of professional theater, the Beck Center is currently home to a full array of classes and programs in dance, music, theater, visual arts and community outreach.
Now that the Beck Center renovations have started, there’s light at the end of the tunnel that Hoffman believes will positively affect future generations.
“I work with a lot of nonprofit organizations and the rule of thumb is that you really need to continue to improve your facilities and renovate at least once every 25 years,” Hoffman said.
“It’s been almost 40 to 50 years since the Beck Center has, so we were due. And once this renovation is complete, there’s no question that it will really set the Beck Center up for two generations.”
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June 10, 2021 at 07:10PM
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Beck Center for the Arts completes first phase of $6.7 million renovation project - cleveland.com
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