Vintage Theater Revitalized In Major Civic Center Project

The Civic Center has been undergoing some major construction. Finally, the multi-million-dollar project is nearing completion.

"The little theater is, it was a vintage 1937 theater that had barely been touched in the 85 years of this building's history," Executive Director Civic Center Foundation Elizabeth Gray said.

Now it has a fresh look.

"We put in all-new seating, leveled the floor to proper standards, put in ADA seating which was really important for us to accommodate and we have a whole new color scheme but most importantly we kept all of the original detail," Gray said.

$14.1 million dollars were invested by taxpayers after passing a bond measure in 2017 called Better Streets, Safer City.

The Civic Center Music Hall is also investing an additional $3 million, adding a massive new lobby to the main entrance, an incredible bar space, a new entrance and lobby to the little theater as well as another space for entertaining guests.

"Really right here behind this wall was the historic façade of this building and so we wanted to create this really grand lobby space," Gray said.

The goal is to be a staple in Oklahoma City. 

"The Civic Center Music Hall is a quality of life. It is what the big corporations are going to look for when they want to headquarter here. It is what the people living downtown are going to consider when they move down here," Gray said.