Alex Slitz/Daily NewsA refurbished skylight brightens the renovated entrance into Van Meter Hall at Western Kentucky University.

New carpet has been laid, the acoustics have been upgraded, seating has increased and rearranged to allow for optimal viewing, new restrooms on the second floor have been built and elevators have been installed.

Scheduled to be completed by June, Western Kentucky University’s Van Meter Hall is ahead of schedule and will see a flurry of activity in preparation for its grand opening in September.

“I’m delighted with its progress,” said David Lee, dean of WKU’s Potter College of Arts and Letters and head of the cultural enhancement series, which uses the performance space in Van Meter. “I think it’s very attractive. The character of the building has been preserved, but updated for the 21st century … it will be a much more comfortable and completed experience for audiences in the future.”

Jeff Younglove, director of campus and community events, said that starting April 1, a slew of small events will take place. He said the Kentucky Repertory Theater has tentatively booked the hall for a small play, and a preview of its capability will be put to the test in May as part of the President’s Gala.

“We’re hoping to be fully functional by then,” he said.

Lee said the music department will use it for a few events and a poetry reading by Billy Collins, which is part of the university’s cultural enhancement series, is set for April 13.

“We need to practice a little bit, and this will give us the chance to test lighting, sound, house management,” Lee said. “We need to get reacquainted with the building. It’s different from how we left it.”

The hall, with a new seating capacity of 1,100 – up from 1,000 – is the only building on campus outside athletic facilities that seats more than 500 people. It has not been in use for nearly two years, which Lee said was a challenge for the music, dance and theater departments.

Lee said they have a production in mind for the grand opening that will be popular and flashy, and will allow them to show off what the building can do.

Van Meter will also become the permanent home to Orchestra Kentucky for the 2010-2011 season.

“We were impressed with the improvements that were made to both the stage area, which was enlarged, and the auditorium – the seating and access – for the audiences we attract,” said Duncan McKenzie, director of external affairs for the orchestra.

McKenzie said the orchestra has two series – the VIP series, which takes place at Living Hope Baptist Church, and the Retro series, which was presented at the Capitol Arts Center. While the venues served the orchestra’s needs, he said it has grown with more musicians, and has outgrown the venues, which was a factor in choosing Van Meter. Living Hope is expanding its facility, which was also a factor in choosing the performance hall on WKU’s campus, he said.

“It wasn’t a question of being unhappy at the venues we were at,” he said. “We needed more performance space, and that has been provided by the expansion of Van Meter.”

McKenzie said by working with WKU, they will be renting shuttle buses to carry patrons from two parking areas downtown and they will also have a professional valet service to park and retrieve patrons’ cars.

“We are excited to be in Van Meter, and I think it will be great for the audience,” he said.

Van Meter – the first building built as part of WKU’s campus – hasn’t had a major renovation since 1911. Kerra Ogden, WKU project manager, said it was long overdue.

“The building was not adequate for the events we wanted to hold in there,” she said. “The electrical mechanical unit was failing, the lobby had no AC, no elevators in the building … the list goes on.

“We pretty much gutted it and rebuilt it. There was a lot that had to be done.”

Younglove said they tried to keep as much of the traditional architecture intact as possible, while bringing the entire building up to code.

While Ogden said a lot of the building’s components were restored – such as the chandeliers, the doors and most of the crown molding – much of the building was completely renovated, with the sight line for the audience improved, a new audio/visual area added and new lighting and sound put in. Planned as a two-year project, Ogden said the construction crew was aggressive in getting the job done early. She said the extra time is a benefit, since so much complicated lighting and audio equipment has been added.

“It’s good they finished early, that way we have time to go in and get our feet wet as far as using the building,” she said. “We are pleased with Van Meter. Messer Construction did a great job.”

A lot was done to improve the acoustics of the building, as panels were built into the backdrop, ceiling and sides of the new stage house, which now has an electronic orchestra pit, Younglove said. The new stage will give performers that extra space needed. The stage expansion also allowed more backstage space and an additional room off the side for prop storage.

A new lighting grid was placed in the ceiling among the original lighting and the chandeliers that will retract when the house lights go off. Seating was increased by 100 seats after taking out the center aisle – the double door into the auditorium has been replaced with a nook for a piece of art. The new addition also allows for a “VIP” room for pre- or post-production meetings as well as a true greenroom for performers.

New dressing rooms on the second floor were added, with a partition built in to separate the room.

“A dance company that may come will now have the space required or needed,” Younglove said.

A crowning feature of the renovated performance space are the “Four Seasons” statues housed in the nooks inside the auditorium. Lee said the pieces, which were not designed to be outside, were formerly in a courtyard outside the old Snell Hall. Younglove said it was the idea of WKU President Gary Ransdell to put the statues inside Van Meter.

“They had been worn by the weather and some vandalism was done to them,” Younglove said. “They were cleaned, restored and put in storage before being put in here.”

Younglove said he is really proud of the skylight, which was also taken out and replaced. The stained-glass skylight, with a vine motif border, is reinforced by wood beams. Lee said he was impressed with the lobby of Van Meter.

“It’s been restored wonderfully,” he said. “It has a welcoming piece of sculpture, the skylight has been cleaned and put back and it really sets the tone for the building. When you walk into the lobby you’re entering a building that has a feeling of being serious about the arts.”

Younglove said the construction crew is slated to be out of the building by the end of the month. He said once the crew is gone, they will be working to make sure everything comes together with lighting and sound – a four- to six-week process.

“With this renovation, we will now have the capability to do shows we weren’t able to do before, especially dance and theater performances, like the large ballets,” Younglove said. “It feels like now we have a first-class facility.”