When visitors come to Charleston for conventions, concerts and other events, they often don't have a chance to experience the city's charisma to the fullest extent, city officials say.
They believe the Civic Center's major facelift and renovation project will show out-of-towners just what the Mountain State has to offer.
The Civic Center, first opened in 1958, has undergone various additions and upgrades over the decades; the ongoing project's $87 million price tag will help transform not only the center, but also the site surrounding it.
A cornerstone of the facility's redesign is making the architecture cohesive with the state's topography, such as adding cut rock walls.
"You're going to see a lot of elements that look like stone faces in terms of color and materials," Civic Center General Manager John Robertson said.
"We want people who come into Charleston to attend functions to at least develop a feel for who and what we are," he said. He said he hopes to further express that notion through installing public art throughout the facility once work is completed in December 2017.
But that's just the tipping point of the project, divided into four phases. With 146,000 square feet to be added to the center, a chunk of that space - more than 20,000 square feet - will comprise a ballroom that will overlook the Elk River.
"Before, it was the grand hall area, which doubled as an exhibit space, meeting room space and ballroom space," Robertson said. "It's required a lot of extra labor and really wasn't what we needed in order to compete on a regional basis for conventions and meetings."
The new ballroom will be separate from the exhibit space and have a 1,400-person capacity. An outdoor pre-function area will allow visitors to socialize with a view of the Elk River.
Many upgrades are being done simultaneously, Robertson said, and require careful planning to ensure the center continues to operate.
"Right now, the existing parlor areas on the main level are being renovated [while] work is happening for the new lobby space on the corner of Clendenin Street and Civic Center Drive," he said.
A few things have already been completed, such as installing ribbon boards, performance lighting and a new sound system in the Coliseum. The two entrances and ballroom will be enclosed in ceiling-to-floor glass.
The additional entrance at the corner of Clendenin and Civic Center Drive will be the primary entry point for spectators headed to Coliseum events, while the existing entrance where the main lobby is currently, will serve as the primary entry for those attending meetings and conventions, Robertson said.
"We do multiple events simultaneously now; it will really be able to separate those audiences," he added.
A covered walkway from the Lee Street parking garage extending to the center will also be added to better accommodate visitors.
Despite its steep cost, paid for entirely by citizens and the city, the updated mechanical equipment is expected to produce considerable energy savings, Robertson said.
"Our experts predict our energy costs will be 30 percent less than what they are now - even with additional facilities - because our mechanical equipment is so antiquated," he said, such as the center's lighting and heating and cooling system.
While the project's groundbreaking took place last June, Robertson said the actual construction didn't really take off until mid-October. Because it's a design-build project, some of the design work is still under way as construction is completed on other aspects of the renovation.
He hopes to see phase one of the project, which includes the new lobby, mechanical plant and a temporary kitchen, around September. But phase two, which includes new meeting rooms facing Lee Street and storage space, can commence before phase one is completed.
"It will overlap to a certain extent, which allows us to move clockwise around the building and have as little inconvenience as possible for those using it," Robertson said.
Reach Elaina Sauber at
elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com,
304-348-3051 or follow
@ElainaSauber on Twitter.