An encore performance: How a BAS retrofit breathed new life into a city center
A $43 million, three-year renovation of the Civic Arts Center is the latest collaboration for Bale and Moran. With a 1,200-seat theater leading the way, the center received a full makeover. The theater consists of loge and balcony seating, an orchestra shell with rigging, a scenery shop and loading dock, and a formal lobby/ticket office. A more intimate 200-seat studio was also added.
The recreation area has also been enhanced so that the center would meet Dearborn residents' fitness needs. Additions included basketball courts, a climbing wall, and aerobics and exercise equipment. A new indoor aquatics area boasts a regulation-size lap pool, a zero-depth entry pool with water slides and toys, a "lazy river" channel, a vortex perfect for low-impact exercise, a hydrobed, and a whirlpool spa.