REICHHOLD CENTER FOR THE ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, ST. THOMAS USVI
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Renovation of the existing outdoor theater to improve its operations and image. The first phase included the design of new seating for the open-sky portion of the theater and an upgrade of the landscape adjacent to the theater grounds. VA convinced the University to not use ball stadium seats to replace the derelict seating and to salvage instead the spirit of the 25-year-old curvilinear wood benches now in disrepair. Seating was dismantled, metal brackets were reused, and wider and more comfortable wood plates were engineered into the anchoring system using certified tropical wood. A planting plan was also prepared, but the installation of the proposed landscape was not implemented. In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma and Maria damaged heavily the large roof over the covered portion of the stage, and rigging, lighting, and sound systems were all compromised. With funding from FEMA, the University is rebuilding the facility and updating the specialty equipment to modern standards.