LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University’s Loso Hall has been closed to the public since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the university later reopens the 31-year-old building, community residents will find a renovated structure with technology adding a touch of theater magic — and a place where people with mobility issues will enjoy new freedom.

Both will show the evidence of $5.5 million of renovation work to the performing arts building, which began in July 2020 and is nearing its final act.

“Most of the work will be completed by April,” said Jon Fowler, project superintendent for Kirby Nagelhout Construction, the general contractor for the Loso Hall remodeling, which is funded by the sale of state bonds.

Many of the renovations focus on boosting accessibility to Loso Hall’s two theaters — McKenzie and Schwarz.

McKenzie Theatre will have an elevator the physically challenged can take to the upper level of its first tier of seating. This will give people who normally only get to see performances at stage level a chance to view productions from a higher perspective, Fowler said.

Those with mobility issues will be able to watch performances at one of six sites that accommodate wheelchairs and their companions. Creating space for viewing sites within the theater’s regular seating area was a heavyweight task.

“We had to remove 40,000 pounds of concrete,” Fowler said.

Another McKenzie accessibility addition involved the installation of wide pathways leading to the stage at the two first-floor side entrances. The wider paths make it easier for people with mobility issues to get to the stage.

At Schwarz Theatre, accessibility also is getting a dramatic boost, where the stage now is level with the floor. Previously the seating area was sloped and above the stage.

Renovation work in Schwarz also includes the addition of a motorized turntable stage that can rotate to alter sets during performances.

“It will make it possible to change scenes quickly,” said EOU theater professor Mike Heather.

The turntable can allow actors to appear to trek long distances as sets representing different regions circle past.

Heather said he believes Schwarz Theatre may be the only one in Eastern Oregon with a turntable stage. Such turntables are normally only in theaters in much larger areas.

Other renovation work includes the installation of cameras and viewing screens for people to see productions throughout Loso Hall. For example, if a performance at McKenzie Theatre is sold out, people will be able to view it live on a large screen in Schwarz Theatre.

Operating the lighting and curtains at McKenzie Theatre also will be easier because of technological upgrades. Previously, all the theater’s curtains had to be lowered and raised by hand, a challenging process because of their weight. Now this can be done electronically with the push of a button, Fowler said, in just 24 seconds.

And new heat sensors mean curtains drop automatically in case of a fire, preventing it from spreading.

Other electronic upgrades will make it easier to alter sound and lighting during productions. Making this possible has involved the installation of an extensive amount of new wiring in protective pipes.

“We added miles and miles of conduit,” Fowler said.

Keeping the conduit out of sight while maintaining the integrity of Loso Hall was an enormous challenge. Fowler called it the hardest part of the renovation process and said determining how to best install the wiring kept him up at night.

Upgrading Loso Hall’s aging infrastructure, including its heating, cooling and ventilation systems, also is been part of the renovation project.

Much of the remodeling has been accomplished while classes were in session at EOU. David Moore, EOU’s capital projects manager, credited Nagelhout Construction with doing a good job of working in an unobtrusive manner that did not have an effect on classes during fall and winter terms.

“We never received any complaints from professors,” he said.

The capital projects manager said many on campus and in the community are eager to see the Loso Hall upgrades.

“There is some excitement building for sure,” Moore said.