Restoration of the Majestic Theatre in Chillicothe is set to move forward now that the historic theatre's Board of Directors has selected an architect firm to proceed with planning the new additions that will include a new lobby and expanded restroom facilities.
The construction is not expected to affect any programming the Majestic has scheduled or any current rental agreements. A start date for construction has yet to be scheduled. The expansion project is being funded through the Ohio State Capital Program and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
The Majestic is nearing completion of the upgrade to the arch in front of the theatre that spans the width of second street in downtown Chillicothe. The refurbishment of the arch included the installation of more cost effective LED lights making the arch cheaper to illuminate. Officials say the new bulbs also offer a much longer life-span. A wiring issue, which was recently repaired, had prevented part of the western portion of the arch from illuminating. More work to the arch, which will take place later this year, includes some additional repairs and repainting.
Through funds received from the community and grants, the Majestic has also been able to upgrade its lighting control console, which over the years had become unreliable during productions. The upgrade to console was made possible with an investment of $3,600.