Music Hall's transformation begins to take shape

Halfway through its unprecedented, $135 million renovation, Music Hall’s transformation is beginning to take shape. 

Earlier this month, officials from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., the renovation's project manager, took The Enquirer on a whirlwind tour of the construction site from the basement all the way up to the Rose Window. With construction crews working double shifts to get critical work completed, a large amount of progress can be seen in the historic Over-the-Rhine structure. 

New concrete floors have been poured in the Springer Auditorium, drywall is going in throughout the building and electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems are being installed. Yet there is still a long way to go before the hall, home to the city's largest performing arts organizations, is ready for its grand reopening in early October 2017. It is the most extensive rehab of the nearly 140-year-old structure in more than four decades, and it is exceedingly complicated.

“The project is on time,” said Jeff Martin, vice president of project management, pointing to construction features during the hard hat tour of the building. “You can see electrical boxes and conduit and we’re already roughed in. The duct-work (overhead) is in. Crews are starting to put up drywall, and will quickly move into other finishes.”

The large fans that cooled workers during the summer months are now gone. A newly installed heating system is keeping the building, which inhabits much of a city block, warm during the construction.

What's new in Springer Auditorium: The view from the gallery (second balcony) is striking. From this level, the visitor can see that the new orchestra lift – which will create a “thrust” stage – extends about halfway out into the auditorium. The hall will be reduced by about 1,000 seats, and the seating area that remains of the main floor indicates that it will be much smaller than before.

Concrete has been poured on the auditorium floor, a material that is new to the 19th-century building, which formerly had a wooden floor. The re-sloped floor is complete and ready to receive a wooden veneer sometime this spring. 

The third lift in the orchestra pit is also finished. Underneath that lift is a storage area for chairs that will not be used when the orchestra is performing on the extended stage.

The basement: Underneath the entire orchestra floor is a plenum, a large, concrete-lined space "that distributes air much more evenly, comfortably and more efficiently, and will introduce air into the room at a much quieter speed,” Martin said. Small vents will deliver air into the auditorium.

The balcony and gallery: Steel reinforcement of both balconies is under way, and steel plates are being added at every joint. Once the trusses are reinforced, crews will add metal framing to create a new slope on top of them. Later will come plywood, carpeting, hardwood and chairs.

"As the structural guys are coming around the horseshoe of the balcony, right behind them are the metal framing guys," Martin said.

As they work, the ornate balcony fronts are protected by plywood covers. Peeking through a doorway, the balcony level appears to be a tangle of duct-work and conduits for things such as theatrical wiring. To figure out how to run the duct-work through all of the trusses, architects built three-dimensional computer models, Martin said.

Up in the gallery, the floor has been re-sloped, and it is completely framed and ready for new flooring and seating. Stairways have evenly spaced steps for the first time, although they are now steeper to allow for sight-lines affected by the thrust stage. The stairs will have a center hand rail, Martin said.​

Corbett Tower and the Rose Window: Behind the gallery on the third floor, Corbett Tower is being prepared for restoration of its historic stenciling, discovered when an old drop ceiling was removed. Tall windows, formerly partially covered, provide panoramic views of Washington Park.

For the time being, a spindly scaffolding reaches up from the floor of Corbett Tower to the attic level behind the Rose Window. The attic has been structurally reinforced, and the Rose Window will be given special lighting. However, the attic space will not be used.

Backstage: Previously, the backstage area was a warren of small rooms on many levels. Now, a new concrete floor has been poured to make the floors all one level – all the way to the scene shop on the opposite side of the building. For the first time, Music Hall has a backstage crossover, from one side to the other. The level floors will also allow more ease in moving equipment and musical instruments on and off the stage.

South Hall: The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival offices and new box office are beginning to take shape. A mezzanine level has been added for work space.

Patrons lounge: A new patrons lounge on the first floor has been built by enclosing a space that was formerly an open-air carriageway off of the South Hall. Conveniently located across from the box seats, the new space will serve the purpose of the former Critics Club. It’s also convenient to the back of house, so if there’s a guest conductor or star, they’ll be able to secretly access this room without having to fight the crowds.

Music Hall's rear entrance is still in question

A sticking point in the renovation design has been the question of a rear entrance from Central Parkway into Music Hall. Many of the resident companies' subscribers and patrons prefer to park in the city-owned Town Center Garage (also known as the CET Garage), and enter the building from the west using a pedestrian bridge spanning Central Parkway. However, the city has deemed the bridge unsound and is proposing its demolition, with no money to fix or rebuild it.

"The rear entrance is still under review," said CSO spokesman Christopher Pinelo. "The bridge is out of our control."

City: Demolishing Music Hall pedestrian bridge is best

Because Music Hall's former "Timeline" entrance was eliminated in the design plans (that space is now dedicated to high-density storage for the music library), officials have toyed with the idea of providing visitors with a second-floor entrance through the Ballroom in the South Hall. That could still be a solution, said Martin, but steps would need to be built if the bridge is taken down.

That entrance would also not be accessible for people with disabilities. Officials have proposed running shuttles from the garage to the front door for patrons needing assistance. (There is also parking in Washington Park Garage, however that garage has only 450 spaces is is frequently full.)

Even if visitors are only allowed egress on one side – the Elm Street side – of the building, it still meets fire code, Martin said.

He added that there is also a path through the back of the house. However, the general public may not be familiar with those areas.