By Tao Woolfe
The Boynton Beach Arts and Cultural Center will be receiving an interior makeover that will allow audiences to better hear and see exhibits and presentations in its auditorium.
The City Commission last month voted unanimously to allocate $775,000 to buy audiovisual equipment and speakers, a new stage curtain and shades for the historic building’s massive windows.
The money will come from the city’s remaining $5.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Some of that money will also be used to purchase furniture and equipment for the historic Boynton Woman’s Club, City Manager Daniel Dugger told commissioners at their March 21 meeting.
“When the plans for Town Square were in the conceptual stage … we wanted an audiovisual system for the auditorium of the Arts and Cultural Center,” Dugger said.
The manager said the city is now leasing space from local restaurants and other vendors. “We need a place for local events,” Dugger said.
He suggested that once the improvements have been made, the city will be able to charge more for renting out the rooms.
“It’s an investment that will pay for itself over five to 10 years,” Dugger said.
The building at 125 E. Ocean Ave., which was built in 1927, originally housed Boynton Beach High School. It can be rented now, but customers have complained that it is difficult to hear in the auditorium.
Because the big windows let in so much light, it is also difficult to see what’s onstage, city staff told the commission.
Dugger said the city will invest in a huge digital screen, as well as two smaller screens, for the stage area.
About $80,000 of the $775,000 will be used to purchase refrigeration equipment and furniture for the Woman’s Club, located at 1010 S. Federal Highway.
The city is preparing a formal bid for the work, a process that will take months.
The Arts and Cultural Center is “a beautiful building that’s not being used to its fullest,” said Commissioner Aimee Kelley. “Schools can use it, we can use it. We can rent it out as a true theater setting.”
“We’ve invested a lot into this project already,” Commissioner Thomas Turkin said. “To put a lens on how we can turn it into an asset is important.”
The city decided years ago to preserve the original 28,000-square-foot building and maintain its character. Its interior spaces were reconfigured to allow for multiple uses as part of the Town Square project.
The auditorium has a 49-foot-high domed ceiling and can accommodate 250 guests for a seated dinner and 500 guests for performances, according to promotional material.
“I think it’s money well-spent,” said Commissioner Woodrow Hay. “It’s already getting popular. If we make it even nicer, there’s going to be a waiting line.”
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