ENID — The process of demolition at Convention Hall, preparing for renovation as part of the $24.5 million Enid Renaissance Project, has begun.
But, demolition may not be an entirely accurate description of the process.
Bob Myers, project manager for Enid Renaissance Project, said some of the interior of the building has been torn out to prepare for the construction of the ballroom. However, a large room on the second floor, which appears to be a meeting room with a 20-foot ceiling, will be restored to its original look, Myers said.
“It’s beautiful. It can be refurbished back to what it originally was with exposed wood beams,” Myers said. “The work there was to remove the false ceiling and some mechanical work.”
The centerpiece of Enid Renaissance Project is construction of an event center adjacent to Cherokee Strip Conference Center. Another part of the project is renovation of Convention Hall into a ballroom and meeting facility.
McNatt Construction, of Oklahoma City, is the contractor for the Convention Hall part of the project. Crews began working in the building a week ago and have removed a portion of the old seating area. Myers said with the seating areas removed, the west wall can be seen from the east wall.
Construction is focusing on the main floor where the ballroom will be located. The primary focus is on the ground floor, but demolition does not always mean destroying, Myers said.
“It’s interesting to see where you stand on what used to be the basketball court. Before, you could only see the seats, now you can see from the east wall to the west wall, which will be the new ballroom walls in the area,” Myers said.
Work is proceeding on schedule. McNatt submitted an overall schedule, and Myers is reviewing that to make sure it meets contract requirements.
Myers is a representative of Carter and Associates, program manager for the project. Carter and Associates represents the city of Enid.
The completion date is scheduled for September 2012 and Myers said he will track it relative to the schedule. He said everything currently is on schedule.
McNatt employees worked through last weekend to be able to take the Thanksgiving weekend off, he said.
Mostly dirt work is being done on the new event center, and the work schedule calls for the building pad at base elevation when Key Construction comes in to do the event center. Myers said that should be finished next week.
Looking forward in the construction schedule, Myers said when the steel arches are erected across the event center floor area, it will be a spectacular sight.