The Westbrook firm won the contract to work on the Great Falls arts center.
AUBURN – A Westbrook company will design renovations to the Great Falls Performing Arts Center.

Allied Engineering bid $7,800 to study the facility and design changes.

“We’ve addressed what we easily could so far, but we knew that we would need an engineer for these larger issues,” said Laurie Smith, Auburn’s acting finance director. “Allied gave us the most comprehensive plan of what they intend to do.”

Proposed fixes for the center include a new sprinkler and fire alarm system, Smith said.

“Right now, we’re doing the planning and cost analysis and determining just what we need to do,” Smith said. The next step will be to pick out the most important changes.

“Then, we can worry about doing the aesthetic fixes, depending on what kind of a budget we have available,” Smith said.

A state fire marshal inspected the building last summer, uncovering 74 fire code violations.

The inspection noted several emergency exits were unlit or did not have illuminated exit signs. Some fire doors were partially blocked, while others were propped open with wooden wedges or rocks. Inspectors also found electrical system problems, such as open junction boxes, spliced and exposed wires, and uncovered outlets and breaker panels.

Most of the fixes were easy, but fire marshals wanted a sprinkler and alarm system installed. That will force the city to redesign much of the structure.

The city took over the 53,000-square-foot building from the School Department in 1997. Nine groups – including the Community Little Theatre and the Edward Little Drama Club – call the building home.
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