Renderings by INVISION Architecture — Renderings by INVISION Architecture show what the historic auditorium will look like after renovation.
The BR Miller Middle School auditorium has not only served Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) students for its nearly century; It also serves as a hub for community gatherings and events, from community theater productions to political events.
The facility will be built by MCSD Superintendent Theron Schutte, MHS Class of 1981, of INVISION Architecture, a firm that is working with district leadership to reimagine Miller as the public prepares to vote on a $57 million bond issue. ) and architect Brian Lane (class of 1984). This will be combined with a $49 million bond for a one-cent sales tax (SAVE) on the $106 million renovation cost of the 1925-built building.
“I think it’s important in any community to preserve historic parts of the community, whether it’s the built form or the memories of the community,” Lane said. “When I was in middle school, I had the opportunity to spend some time at Miller. It was in the gymnasium, not the auditorium…I’ve spent a lot of time at Miller, and I would love to see it come back in a new way.” It’s about the aesthetics of the community and the building itself. ”
Schutte, who returned to his alma mater as superintendent in 2016, recalled visiting Miller in 2012 when former President Barack Obama was in office and campaigning for re-election. The MHS auditorium, now known as the Marshalltown Performing Arts Center, wasn’t built until 1985, after Schutte and Lane graduated.
According to the director, one of the main objectives of the project is to restore the original “splendor, splendor and atmosphere” of the auditorium when it was first built. At that time, there were approximately 900 seats on the first floor and 250 to 300 seats on the balcony.
Photo by THERON SCHUTTE — A 1920s photo shows the auditorium area at the north end of Miller Middle School under construction. The building will turn 100 years old in 2025, and Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) voters will decide the fate of a $57 million bond issue on the Nov. 5 ballot. Securing a Progressive Vision Combined with the $49 million bond, the 1-cent sales tax for education (SAVE) would cost Miller $106 million if the referendum is successful. will be provided.
“It’s been a phenomenal facility within the community, but[another goal]is to change it in the sense of making it a little more versatile[than the previous facility]because this auditorium that currently exists is strictly It’s a performing arts center, and what we want is for it to be used in a variety of ways,” Schutte said.
He plans to reduce the number of seats on the main floor to about 500 and add a front floor between the stage and the theater seats to create a black box feel where tables and chairs can be set up for community events. He said it was ideal. Dinner theater and professional development for district staff.
“We can do everything we can do in the Orpheum Black Box, but with significantly more seating,” Schutte said. “I think the other exciting thing is that the band and orchestra programs have always been housed in the basement of our current facility, so assuming we can build a second gymnasium, we can move those programs between two. We’re excited about the possibility of bringing it into the floor, perhaps the old gymnasium.”
Brad Leeper, another architect at INVISION and one of the firm’s partners, said in meetings with prospective voters and focus groups that the auditorium is an “important community space” and worth preserving. I realized that there is a common understanding that there is.
“If we’re going to do it, it needs to be updated in every way, and it needs to include support spaces that don’t currently exist, such as dressing rooms, changing rooms, and spaces outside the auditorium.” “It’s very important in terms of making it happen,” he said. “I don’t think we know 100% today what a multipurpose space means. We want it to be multipurpose, but at the moment we don’t know exactly what that means. We’re very early in the design process.”
TR File Photo — Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips (right) speaks during the 2022 Republican Midterm Caucus meeting at Miller Middle School Auditorium. Throughout its history, the facility has played host to a variety of community events.
Schutte said that when he returned to Marshalltown in 2016, local leaders expressed a desire to upgrade and improve the auditorium, but although he was supportive of the idea, He added that he wanted to be sure of Miller’s future as an educational institution before pouring in dollars. that.
“It took this process to determine that it was the right direction,” he said.
An audit to determine how many performance venues are needed in the community after the Fisher Community Center, now known as the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC), was severely damaged by the 2020 derecho. was carried out. Ultimately, it was determined that renovation of all available space, including Miller Auditorium, was warranted.
Another benefit of the Reimagine Miller project is the ability to move the commons area to the front of the building, providing a social space for the public before and after events in the auditorium, Leeper said. And while the facility’s age presents unique challenges, it also means it has unique architectural features that are difficult to recreate today.
Mr. Schutte also envisions the old auditorium lobby as a mini-museum for the school district, or a shrine to the late Jean Seberg and Mary Beth Hart, famous actresses who appeared on stage during Mr. Miller’s high school years.
“The auditorium is probably the most meaningful part to the people who graduated from that building,” he said.
Leeper said that in some situations, tearing down and rebuilding a historic building is a smarter option than renovating it, but Miller said the location, where nearly 70 percent of students live on the north side, and the typical Said to be equipped with mid-tier facilities. Schools don’t have them, so it makes sense to collect them.
“This building has the ability to adapt to modern learning environments, and we believe the bones of the building are solid as we move forward in terms of quality of construction,” he said. Ta. “When you put all of that together, it made sense in this case to keep the building, utilize it, and reimagine what education looks like here.”
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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611, ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.
Renderings by INVISION Architecture — Renderings by INVISION Architecture show what the historic auditorium will look like after renovation. Photo by THERON SCHUTTE — A 1920s photo shows the auditorium area at the north end of Miller Middle School under construction. The building will turn 100 years old in 2025, and Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) voters will decide the fate of a $57 million bond issue on the Nov. 5 ballot. Securing a Progressive Vision Combined with the $49 million bond, the 1-cent sales tax for education (SAVE) would provide $106 million to Miller’s reconsideration if the referendum is successful. will be provided. TR File Photo — Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips (right) speaks during the 2022 Republican Midterm Caucus meeting at Miller Middle School Auditorium. Throughout its history, the facility has played host to a variety of community events.
