Burlington moves forward with Greyhound Performing Arts Center: seating, stagecraft and schedule locked into construction documents

The Burlington Community School District on June 30 reviewed final design details for the Aldo Performing Arts Center — to be branded the Greyhound Performing Arts Center — and advanced the project into the construction documents phase with a schedule that targets bidding this fall.

Architect/designer presenting the plans said the project is moving from design development into construction documents "so that we can really work on producing the information that the construction team is going to need for being able to build this." The board and design team reviewed seating, stage and backstage arrangements, exterior cladding, access and schedule.

The project keeps the existing auditorium footprint for audience circulation but builds a new stage box and adjacent stagecraft area at the back of the building. The design team described a 40-foot stage opening, a stage roughly 2½ feet elevated above the front row, and seating distributed across a lower tier (about a 30-inch drop toward the stage) and a steeper upper tier. Based on current seat layouts, the presenter said the auditorium will hold about 719 seats — "slightly over 700" compared with earlier estimates below 700. Seat widths will vary between 21 and 24 inches to allow row spacing between aisles.

The planned stagecraft area will include a scene shop and an overhead delivery door sized to allow scenery loaded off trucks to move directly into the stage area. Designers said the scene shop will include storage, a condition storage area for a grand piano and a platform to provide extra storage under the high roof. A small new hallway will connect the stagecraft area to dressing rooms converted from existing locker rooms; the district will retain existing showers and toilets while adding counters, mirrors and lights around mirrors so performers can use the space for costume and makeup.

Exterior work includes a precast concrete stage box and brick-clad stagecraft piece intended to match the existing building. The presenters described the precast panels as a structural, insulated "sandwich" product that erects more quickly than masonry: "The biggest benefit is it just allows you to get a wall up faster. So it's very durable," the presenter said. They also showed exterior signage plans: a new backlit canopy sign that will read "Greyhound Performing Arts Center." Designers said the dumpster will be relocated and the project will add a driveway connection between two parking lots with removable bollards for performance nights.

Board members asked technical and longevity questions about the seating and structure. The presenter said seats will be individually bolted to concrete risers rather than to a light-gauge system, which should remove the rattling and movement associated with existing bleachers. When asked about repairability of precast panels, the presenter answered that panels are long-lived and "you don't replace precast. You would have to redo." The design team also confirmed the project will retain some existing ceiling acoustic "clouds" and add more to match the new aesthetic; interior finishes shown in the presentation include colored wall panels, wood materials and purple seating as part of the Greyhound branding.

The design team discussed options the board considered but removed to control cost. Notably, a permanent orchestra pit would have added an estimated $500,000–$700,000; the chosen approach keeps the first two rows removable to permit a pit function when needed without that additional capital expense. The presenter said the design team toured comparable sites (including Washington Auditorium) and used their experience to select solutions that limit cost while preserving function.

On schedule, the team said it expects to complete construction documents by October, seek bids in November and move toward construction within roughly a year. They indicated an intent to avoid bidding between Thanksgiving and Christmas and aim to have bidding completed before that holiday window if possible.

Clarifying details from the presentation included the 40-foot stage opening, a roughly 2½-foot stage elevation above the front row, seating capacity of about 719, seat widths of 21–24 inches, and the decision to convert existing locker rooms into dressing rooms with added mirrors and counters. Designers said the precast stage box will be textured and colored in the mix with a light sandblast finish to align with the building's brickwork.

The board thanked the design committee for its work and signaled support for advancing the project to the construction documents and bidding phases. No formal vote to award contracts or to increase the project budget was held during the presentation; the board was shown renderings, finishes and a schedule and asked staff and the design team to proceed with final documents and cost updates ahead of the November bid target.

The district and design team plan to return with finalized bid documents and updated cost estimates prior to any contract awards.