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District holds public hearing on Thomas Jefferson High auditorium, outlines design and timeline
Summary
Architects presented design renderings and a roughly one-year construction schedule for Thomas Jefferson High School's auditorium and adjacent hallway; no members of the public spoke during the hearing.
The Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Directors held a public hearing to review planned renovations to the Thomas Jefferson High School auditorium and adjacent hallway. The presentation, led by Rogers Lawson of BVH Architecture and introduced by John Stiles, described new finishes, seating, theatrical systems and accessibility improvements. Board members were present with one absence noted.
BVH Architecture's presentation described a darker, more intimate color scheme for the auditorium with grays, gold accents and wood slat wall treatments. The plan calls for all-new auditorium seating, blackout shades and draperies for large windows, upgraded theatrical lighting and curtains and improved audio controls. The design also replaces portable stage stairs with two built-in stairways at the stage edge and relocates the stage accessibility lift into an enclosed doorway to reduce its visibility from the entry.
Project renderings shown to the board included a refreshed lobby with new paint, LED downlighting, wood-slat accents and a small trophy/display case to replace several unneeded lockers. The balcony will receive new seating and a short glass railing mounted on the existing concrete wall. Presenters said the scope also includes new exterior entry doors and improvements to stair treads and risers.
On schedule, presenters said the design team planned to finish construction documents at the end of the current month and to go out to bid in early April, with a bid review period to follow. Construction is slated to begin in summer; the presenters said they are allowing roughly one year for construction to account for current lead times on theatrical equipment and rigging and expected the work to be completed by the end of the 2025–26 school year.
The board opened the public hearing and invited comment. No members of the public came forward, and the board chair closed the hearing.
No formal vote was required at the hearing. The presentation will return to the board for approvals tied to contract awards and construction documents at a later meeting.
