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JONES HALL GETS READY FOR UPCOMING PERFORMING ARTS SEASON
Change In Scaffolding Improves Appearance Of Front Entry As Renovations Continue
August 7, 2003 -- Enveloped in a long-term renovation project, Jones Hall will feature a brighter appearance when the new performing arts season opens in September.
The City of Houston, which manages Jones Hall through the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, has removed scaffolding and plywood from the sidewalks fronting Louisiana and Capital streets near the front door of the building in an effort to make the main entryway more pleasing.
Jones Hall is the subject of a $7.4 million project to replace or refurbish nearly 4,500 travertine marble panels on the building exterior. The panels are original to Jones Hall, which was built in 1966, and have deteriorated. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by May 2004.
"We have made it our priority to finish the bulk of the work around the front door by September 1," said Dawn Ullrich, director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department. "This has been a very painstaking project and we want to finish it correctly, but we are also mindful that tip-toeing through an area of construction doesn't make for a pleasant evening for the patrons of Jones Hall.
"Therefore, we initiated a schedule that expedites repairs to the front entryway and will continue to work in a manner that is more aesthetically pleasing," Ullrich added.
Presently, workers are cleaning and repairing the marble surfaces on the walls near the box office.
"When work is finished in this small area, one will get an idea of how the rest of the building will ultimately appear," Ullrich said.
Ullrich said less obtrusive scaffolding will reappear along Louisiana and Capitol in October.
Scaffolding will surround the exterior columns, which also require cleaning and renovation, while other platforms will be 25 feet above the street, extending laterally, to allow workers to repair panels near the roof.
Scaffolding has been temporarily removed from Jones Hall's eastern face to accommodate a Metropolitan Transit Authority street improvement project on Milam.
Jones Hall has been "dark" for the summer to accommodate interior projects. The building will reopen September 3 for Houston Symphony's first performance of the 2003-2004 season.
See these and more Theater District events by clicking Calendar of Events from the www.houstontx.gov home page.
