It seems I was too eager in my announcement last week; elevator access has been delayed. I’ll reiterate this week; the elevator inspection process is robust! Still waiting on parts for the finishing touch to the elevator before our final inspection.
In other Dreamland news, excellent progress has been made in the planning for Phase 3 of construction. After 4 years working on these projects, we’ve really learned to be meticulous and precise, to get done what is necessary and stay within budget. Over the next couple of weeks, we (really the architect) will be finalizing details of the construction plan and be ready to begin the bidding process. All parties hope to get started this summer to be up and running by February 2023 for Dancing into Dreamland. If you can’t recall or missed what is in Phase 3, check out some of my older posts (below) from earlier this month and the end of March.
I encourage any fan of Taborian Hall to drive by the building. We have had the new windows installed, painted them, and cleaned and touched up the old cement details and cornice around the façade. The building has had a facelift and it looks excellent! Particularly handsome when viewed from access roads on either side of I-630.
Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy
Update and Review
What a Ride!
Well Friends, I think all of us should feel very safe anytime we ride an elevator. I can personally attest that the construction and inspection process is robust!
In 2018, the Friends of Dreamland finally achieved a (at the time) 9-year goal of funding the construction of an elevator to the third floor Dreamland Ballroom. If you have been following along since then, I’m sure you are aware of our success with the Civil Rights Preservation grant program through the National Parks Service (NPS). Well, I’m happy to say that at least a million dollars and approximately four years later with a lot of back-and-forth between the elevator company, contractors, and electricians, pending a final inspection this Friday, the elevator will be fully operational by this time next week!
The lack of an elevator has been the principal barrier to the revitalization of the Dreamland Ballroom for decades now and the primary objective for our organization since 2009. The gratitude we feel to our fellow Friends of Dreamland, donors, past and present board members, volunteers, Flagandbanner.com staff, and the NPS is insurmountable. An elevator seems so commonplace. Something I think many of us take for granted in our daily lives, but it means everything to the future of this historic place.
Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy
New Plaster…
This one’s a little tricky! There’s a lot of plaster work in the ballroom. The most ornate of which is around the front of the stage on what is called the proscenium or forestage. Three large medallions and two different border molds make up the orange plaster on the forestage. This space and a few touch-ups on the faces of the balconies are where our work will be focus for plaster restoration.
It’s tricky because we, along with almost everyone who sees the Dreamland Ballroom, loves the look of the old plaster. Figuring out the balance between new and old as well as where exactly needs the most attention requires careful thought and planning.
The Philander Smith College Band on the Dreamland Stage, 1940s
Stage Apron and Curtain…
The stage apron is the front part of any stage that juts out from the proscenium. The Dreamland stage has long since had its apron removed (not sure when). We can see from old photos that, at least after the U.S.O. renovation in the 1940s, the stage had a 3-5 ft. rounded apron with Dreamland’s signature diamond pattern depicted across the front. We will be adding back the Dreamland stage front while leveling out the uneven stage floor, making a point here to distinguish between the new and old wood. Something about the old wood being the site of such great performers compels us to make that clear distinction.
A cyclorama (back) curtain will go up mimicking the sectional curtain we can see in old photos of the ballroom. Three angled sections that will provide a solid backdrop when necessary but also rise and move out of the way when the beautiful backwall is desired for display.
NEW TILES
The ceiling of the Dreamland Ballroom was at one time covered in 2x2’ ornate tin tiles from front to back. When the roof collapsed, sometime in the 1980s, most of the tiles went with it. Today, several still rest above the stage and front of house. Restoring these tiles has always been a “dream project” for the Friends. Truthfully, something I never imagined getting to update this early in the restoration effort. (Funny how over 30 years can still feel ‘early’ in this process). We are still debating the best possible material and approach. Copper vs tin, painted vs raw, refurbished here, new ones there…some of these decisions will have to do with price but historic character is the primary consideration. We won’t be restoring the entire tin ceiling of the ballroom at this time, just the front of house and below the back balcony. *original tiles pictured below
Windows and Restoration
Today, the AMR Construction crew starts replacing windows. Many of the windows around Taborian Hall are boarded up, currently covered in a canvas-like material to appear like a heavily tinted window. These windows, most of which are on the second and third floors, are being replaced with Pella windows which are designed to look historically accurate. The new windows will open light to second floor office space, as well as the backstage and around the back balconies in the ballroom.
Here (below) we can see a few renderings of the next round of work to be done in Dreamland. Stage expansion, proscenium plaster work, the addition of a stage curtain, tin tile restoration, and house lighting.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
During this recent lull in construction here at the Dreamland Ballroom, we’ve been making plans for upcoming work and reflecting on the work already completed.
Right now, the final inspections for the elevator are underway and our architect, Ed Sergeant, is working diligently with the building owner Kerry McCoy, myself, and AMR Construction to finalize plans that we can submit to the National Parks Service for technical review. We should have updates on that scope of work over the next month or so.
Just last night, my wife was ideally scrolling through the photo gallery on my phone while I hung shelves in our kitchen. She managed to go back pretty far, all the way to 2018-19, primarily looking for pictures of our pets. While looking over her shoulder I couldn’t help but notice all the pictures of the new addition, going from a hole in the ground to a 4-level brick structure. There were pictures of brick and tin samples, the empty elevator shaft, incomplete HVAC duct work, half-built bathroom walls, photos of workers precariously perched on lifts and scaffolding to power wash, paint, and prep, and more. The sheer volume of pictures over years captured very well the extent of work we’ve done since our first NPS award in 2018. Swelling with pride at our accomplishments, we’re looking to the future now. And while exceedingly grateful for the opportunity, I think I can safely speak for all the Friends of Dreamland when I say, we are ready to move on! Time to get Dreamland open and start fulfilling our mission in ways that we have never been able to before.
Stay tuned this month for updates on future projects.
Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy