Construction workers continue the demolition of the balcony of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Center’s Getz Theatre. The main floor of the auditorium has already been cleared.

Update on the renovation of Columbia College Chicago‘s historic Emma and Oscar Getz Theatre, the mainstage auditorium at the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department. As documented in this week’s edition of the visual chronicle of the project, demolition of the theatre balcony continues and workers are setting up scaffolding for the removal of the ceiling. The entire plaster ceiling will be removed, providing space for ductwork and a new catwalk system. All demo will be completed by June 30. Then construction of a new, reconfigured auditorium will begin.

Meanwhile, in the Theatre Center’s basement, the boiler room demo, asbestos abatement, and power washing is complete. New boilers and other equipment will be installed.

And up on the sixth floor, demolition has also started. Classrooms 611, 613, and 615 will be turned into the makeup classroom and lighting lab facilities in time for the start of classes in Fall 2017.

As reported previously in this blog, the Getz Theatre is slated for a makeover as part of the college’s efforts to update campus spaces. Above is an artist’s rendering of what the theatre will look like when it reopens next year. The renovation of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Center is being documented in images and video. Please follow the progress of this exciting development over the summer! For new pictures and video, click here. To follow us on Facebook, click here.