Pike County Auditorium gets $2 million makeover

Heavy equipment has made some major changes as the Pike Auditorium gets a $2 million makeover that includes a new lobby with stacked stone walls and a new reception counter that will also work as a concession stand during some events.

“The auditorium will have the entire lobby area of the building removed and replaced with a modern ADA accessible addition,” said Pike County Schools facilities director Mick Rawls.

“The actual auditorium will be getting a facelift with new paint, the removal of the drafty old windows and a more modern sound booth. The entire outside of the building will be painted to match the new brick on the front of the building to make it look new and refreshed. The bathrooms will have more accessibility and provide for a higher volume of guests.

A new HVAC system will be installed to improve the climate in the new lobby area and there are plans to add new lighting for the stage. There will also be ADA parking spaces added to the front of the building that will have a direct route to the ADA ramp to the lobby.

“This structure is used almost every day by some faction of the community. These changes will provide a place to hold events that the entire community can attend with pride. The current building has great bones and will seat 742 people at its maximum capacity, which provides one of the few venues in the county that can provide that kind of seating,” said Rawls. “Our goal is to reopen the week of spring break 2023. It basically boils down to whether the materials needed are in ready supply and whether they can be transported to us in a timely manner. We are working very hard to be able to meet this deadline so that the end of year activities can be carried out as usual.”

Another upcoming renovation project will replace the roof of the primary school to stop leaks and freshen up the outside of the building. Both projects will be funded by Department of Education Capital Outlay and E-SPLOST funds. The expected date of completion is April 2023.