College restores Greek Theater

Resurfacing work revives UA facility

The goal is to re-create a not-so-ancient Greek theater.

Work will soon be complete on the first phase of renovations to the Chi Omega Greek Theater at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, a campus landmark that opened in 1930 and since 1992 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After resurfacing the towers that flank the sides of the stage and the columns forming a half-ring behind it, the next phase, which will begin in July, involves fixing well-worn seats in the bowl area and improving landscaping.

“It’s going to look very similar to a new facility,” said Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities. “It gets a lot of use, and it has a lot of visibility on campus.”

The full project could be finished by UA’s winter break, though work could possibly stretch into spring, Johnson said.

The plan is to keep the theater available for a few events in the fall, like football pep rallies, and for students who at times also use the area as a place to study. But in the second phase, there will be times when “some, if not all, the bowl will be construction-fenced so we can work on it,” Johnson said.

UA used $334,000 in general improvement funds from the state for the project’s first phase, which began in March and will be done by next month, Johnson said. Work crews from Tulsa-based Flintco have been doing the on-site work.

A $650,000 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council will pay for the additional renovations, Johnson said. The council oversees state grants funded through a real-estate transfer tax.

“What people will notice the most is a nice, clean, crisp tower, like it would have been when it was constructed,” said Scott Leonard, project manager for SCM Architects, the firm working with university planners on the project.

The idea for the theater goes back at least as far as a 1925 campus plan put together by St. Louis architecture firm Jamieson & Spearl. The theater was presented as a gift from Chi Omega, a national sorority founded at UA in 1895, in a dedication ceremony held in 1930.

It’s served as a backdrop for commencements, concerts and other events.

“When you think of the campus, there are a few buildings that come to mind. One is Old Main. One is the Greek Theater,” said Todd Furgason, a campus planner working on the project.

While work was done on the theater in the mid-1990s and about 10 years ago, the effort now is “more of a complete restoration,” Furgason said.

“We are using sort of best practices for historical restoration this time, which should lead to a longer-lasting result and a more historically accurate restoration as well,” Furgason said.

Earlier use of a stretchy coating caused harmful moisture to be trapped, Furgason said.

“It really started to make the theater look bad, and I think everyone on campus was seeing it deteriorate and knew that something had to be done about it,” Furgason said.

Much of the work done in the first phase has involved stripping away the surface coating material, Furgason said.

“It’s all being replaced with natural lime and cement-based stucco,” Furgason said, adding that the structures will take on a “very light, whitish gray color” instead of having a “dirty white” look. Limestone for column bases and accents is coming from Batesville and is the same as stone used in other campus buildings, Furgason said.

Other work has involved installing copper roofs on the towers flanking the stage and upgrading the site’s electrical system, Furgason said. A new piece of limestone will replace a cracked plaque that identifies one of the Chi Omega founders.

The site also will get a lighting upgrade, he said.

“We’re being very respectful and very intentional about restoring it to an appropriately high level of finish, and maybe that’s something that 40 years ago wasn’t a priority, but it is very much a priority now,” Furgason said.

Upcoming Events