On December 19, 2017, Poly had its grand re-opening for its auditorium after an almost three-year renovation. The service was held at the side entrance on 15th Street and included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with a string quartet and Jazz One playing and caroling to welcome the guests. There to welcome back the public to Poly’s auditorium were board of education members, such as Megan Kerr, and Poly staff, including choral music director, Brian Dokko.
The renovation was long overdue but was finally pursued in January 2015, mainly due to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring access for people with wheelchairs, along with the damages from the earthquake of 1933.
Now with the changes, the auditorium has an elevator lift available for those that require it. The building also has “the original stage but new interior walls and ceilings, seats, lighting and sound,” according to Dokko. The latest model of the walls and ceiling have allowed for better acoustics for choral music and the cushioned seats have the audience in a more comfortable state during performances.
However, the alterations do come with a cost.
“We got rid of the balcony and suffered the loss of around 400 seats,” Dokko said. “We are just over 1100 seats now.” But, it’s a price worth paying especially no longer having to go offsite for performances.
Poly’s choral, instrumental, and dance concerts along with events such as Jackrabbit Pageant and Baccalaureate are ready to take on the old stage of the new auditorium.
“I’m super happy,” Dokko said. “It feels wonderful to be back. It’s been so long. We forgot how it feels like to be in here.”