LAWTON – McMahon Memorial Auditorium will be upgraded in a multimillion-dollar renovation project scheduled to start next year.
The 69-year-old auditorium will remain open throughout the rest of this year before closing temporarily next January for Phase 1 improvements, which are expected to be completed by the fall of 2025.
The first phase of the renovation will feature improved ADA accessibility, including an elevator; enhanced fire safety measures; and installation of a new HVAC system.
The internal components of the air conditioning system “are the same age as the building,” said Jason Poudrier, the City of Lawton arts and humanities administrator. In addition, new duct work will be installed. “This will give us better air circulation in the auditorium,” Poudrier said.
Also planned is replacement of chillers in the basement.
“These upgrades are essential for modernizing the facility and ensuring it remains a safe and welcoming venue for all visitors,” Poudrier said.
Improvements planned in Phase 1 will cost an estimated $7.5 million, he said. The funding was secured through the 2019 Capital Improvement Program, according to Caitlin Gatlin, the city’s communications director.
Groundbreaking to mark the first phase of the project was held Aug. 1.
At least some improvements planned in Phase 2 are predicated on passage Aug. 27 of the PROPEL 2040 CIP, which would extend the 2019 CIP. That program is scheduled to expire after 15 years, in 2034, but PROPEL 2040 would extend it for six more years.
For example, the resolution that spells out how those extra sales tax dollars would be allocated includes new seating for McMahon Auditorium.
The “main focus is to enhance the west side of the building the same way we’re doing the east side,” Poudrier told Southwest Ledger.
An additional ADA-compliant elevator would be installed on the west side of the building, and plans would include connecting the lobby to the stage with hallways on the east and west sides of the building.
Another project that’s envisioned is construction of an ADA-accessible conference/VIP “meet-and-greet” room, Poudrier said. Currently the Auditorium Authority and arts and humanities groups conduct their meetings in the lobby, he noted.
“Our ultimate goal is to honor the vision of Louise McMahon,” Poudrier said.
Mrs. McMahon gifted the auditorium to the city in 1955 after her husband and her son died. She wanted “a fitting memorial for her only son, Eugene,” and decided to build a classical stage with a main floor and balcony that could accommodate more than 1,000 people, the Lawton Arts website relates.
The auditorium is a classical proscenium stage with main floor and balcony seating that can accommodate 1,477 people. The proscenium opening is 49 feet wide and 19 feet in height. The usable stage width is approximately 41 feet, and the usable stage depth is 31 feet.
In nearly seven decades the auditorium has held more than a thousand plays and has hosted performers such as Elvis Presley, Poudrier confirmed. The McMahon has long been a cornerstone of the Lawton community, hosting a diverse range of events, including concerts, theatrical productions, lectures and community gatherings.
“I’m excited for this project to start,” Mayor Stan Booker told the Ledger. McMahon Auditorium is “a community treasure.”
The building has undergone some minor repairs over the years and “recently the bathrooms were redone,” he said. “But this is its first major renovation and expansion,” he said. “We should have invested in it long before now; a city has to invest in venues for culture. But at least this will get us started.”