PAC site may be renovated

When the University purchased the First Church of Christ Scientist in September, the Performing Arts Council said the building was useless as performing or rehearsal space. But PAC President Pat Ede said he was later informed by the Office of the Provost that the University plans to renovated the space at 4012 Walnut St. Ede, an Engineering and Wharton senior, has since reversed his opinion on the church's potential, saying he is "happy with the support we are receiving from the administration." Whether the the church will in fact be thoroughly renovated remains uncertain. From Facilities Planning to Real Estate, administrators in many different departments have said they were unaware that the University intended to revamp the site. Provost Stanley Chodorow said that while renovations will probably take place, he was unaware as to how extensive they would be -- or how much they would cost. "It is too early to say how we will develop the church," Chodorow said. "We are working with students and others to define the potential of the facility, but that is complicated work." Ede said that in order for the church to be adequately transformed into performance space, the University would have to spend $3 million. Associate Treasurer for Real Estate Chris Mason said the University bought the church for $850,000. Ede said the pews must be removed from the main sanctuary. "There are currently 1,200 seats with pews," Ede said. "There will hopefully be 600-800 seats after the pews are removed." The power supply also has to be brought up to code, according to Annenberg Center Lighting Coordinator Robert Drago. "The church needs a power upgrade to accommodate the lighting and sound needs of performances," he said. But a problem still of major concern is the poor acoustics of the sanctuary. "The echoes need to be taken down a little," said Drago. "It's quite a live room right now." Ede said the plans for adjusting the acoustics are "very feasible, but not cheap." Considering the costs involved, the University needs to find money before the renovations can begin. "The renovations require locating a donor," Student Performing Arts Administrative Assistant Laura Hammons said. "Then, the University can convert the space to make it usable for student groups." In addition to the sanctuary, the church has a smaller room, which is perfect for rehearsals or small performances, said Office of Student Life Activities and Facilities Director Fran Walker. Ede added that PAC will begin using this smaller room over the next couple of months. And Ede said there are five or six rooms on the second floor which can be used for offices. But none of this space will be able to house scenery or technical equipment, according to Student Performing Arts Technical Director Peter Whinnery. "The church is not suitable for a scene shop," he said. "And it is not the kind of room you would like to turn into a carpentry shop." Scenery and technical space is a vital concern for PAC, said Ede. When the Perelman Quadrangle is constructed, the existing space in the basement of Irvine Auditorium will be eliminated.

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