ELGIN – The Opera House capital campaign committee has announced

that architect Mark Seder of Portland will complete the renovation

drawings and present them to the city council on May 12.

“Mark was in last week talking to us about the work to be done on the steps and ADA ramp,” said committee chair John Stover.

Seder will speak before the council and show his completed

illustrations of how the exterior of the Opera House will appear after

renovations have been made. When the project is finished, the front

staircase will be restored to its 1912 design.

With the help of the museum, Stover was able to locate a historic photo of the 1912 City Hall building (now the Opera House) before the building was occupied or the landscaping was finished. This gave the committee and architect a good visual of how the stairs originally appeared.

“The front steps were designed very differently then, and we’re going to go back to that,” said Stover. “They will be changed completely from what people have seen.”

The ADA requirements for access to public buildings has been updated a couple of months ago, said Stover, so Seder and the Union County building inspector will have to evaluate the design of the proposed ADA ramp in light of the new codes. Stover said the new design will show the ADA ramp blending into the front steps.

“The new design drawings will show the ADA ramp faced with bricks that will match those on the other walls of the building,” Stover said. “We are also talking about a green programandsbquo; in our renovation plans because there are more grant dollars out there if we incorporate green features in the building.”

The drawing phase will be completed first. Then the committee will advertise for bids to demolish the present cement stairs to the front doors and to pour new stairs to resemble the 1912 design. This work is planned for completion in August or September, Stover said. Contractors may look at the drawings at City Hall and submit bids, but the drawings will not be allowed out of City Hall.

Inside the Opera House, the first restoration project to be addressed will be the restoration of the south balcony staircase. Stover believes the money for this work is available through EDGE’s Cycle Oregon grant award.

“The building inspector said if we didn’t have two exits from the balcony seating area, then the balcony could not be used,” said Stover.

Consequently, the capital committee has made the restoration of the balcony stairs a priority. The city council has given its permission to Stover to advertise for bids on the balcony steps. One corporate donor called, said Stover, and asked to take a tour through the Opera House and also to observe a show rehearsal. All donors are welcome to do so, Stover said.

Many of the large corporate grant applications are finished and submitted. The committee is waiting on replies. Meanwhile, fundraising plans are in the making for the Elgin Riverfest June 20. The committee plans to hold a yard sale and other fun events for the public to enjoy. More details will follow as the date draws closer.

Volunteers are needed during the fund raising events at Riverfest.

Community donations toward the Opera House renovation are greatly appreciated and may be mailed to City Recorder Terrie Richards at the Elgin City Hall, P.O. Box 128, Elgin.

The public is invited to attend the May 12 city council meeting to hear Seder present his renovation drawings.