MACON, Ga. — The Temptations, Four Tops, and Ron White are just some of the acts set to hit the stage in Macon within a few months. They will be some of the first acts to touch the Macon City Auditorium stage after they complete phase 1 of their facelift.
Crews are putting their finishing touches on the facelift of the historic building. However, they faced a tight schedule for phase 1.
"We had 90 days to complete phase one. We started Memorial Day," says Chris Brown, the superintendent of Sheridan Construction.
Regarding the outcome, the General Manager at the Macon Centreplex, David Aiello, says it will be well worth it.
"It's going to be more comfortable. It's going to fit the patrons a little bit better. It's going to really allow us to push the envelope with having back-to-back events and making sure the county is really getting the best return on their investment," said Aiello.
"Phase 1 of the project was what's overhead. We did a lot of demos, installed some new steel for catwalks for performances," says Brown.
Phase 1 included remodeling the concession lobby downstairs and the restrooms downstairs. One of their first projects was to open the floor up in the basement for the elevator in the concession lobby on the auditorium floor, but then some things happened.
"(We) encountered a few unforeseen conditions, and we are currently in a holding pattern for the redesign of that space to overcome the issues that we have found," says Brown.
"That 90 days is up next Wednesday, so as you can see, we are cleaning up and getting ready to turn the space back over," says Brown.
Turn the space over for stage lights and the spotlights to be back in action.
"Along with our other music venues in downtown, it's really helping Macon get back to its musical heritage and musical roots," explained Aiello.
They are aiming for phase 2 of the facelift to start next summer with new restrooms upstairs, a lot of painting, and re-doing the carpet, but they may end up doing some small projects before the summer.
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