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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Exerpts of 1988 study





INDEX
Executive Summary
Existing Building
History
Structure
Stage and Theatrical Systems
Auditorium
Public Spaces
Asbestos
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
Plumbing
Electrical
Basic Dimensional Information
Possibilities for Renovation
Functional Issues
Code Issues
Minimum Renovation
Renovation as Performing Arts Center
Program
Stage
Auditorium
Public Spaces
Management Spaces
Recommendation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Coyle Theater is an old building in a prominent Charleroi location with an interesting lower facade and a pleasant auditorium. It is the only movie theater remaining open in downtown Charleroi.
To continue the useful life of the Coyle, renovation will be required very soon. A thorough maintenance renovation, without major alteration or addition, could cost $500,000.00 to $1,000,000.00. This should be done.

HISTORY

The Coyle Theater was built about 1895 by Robert Coyle in a Belgian Renaissance Revival style as a 44' x 100' brick streetfront building with an auditorium on the second level. Large bracketed wood gabled trusses spanned the width of the auditorium roof. Sometime before 1911 a small central balcony was removed from the facade at the second floor and a canopy supported by chains was added about 2/3 of the way up the street level fenestration.

In 1927 the theater was reconstructed. This reconstruction probably included extension of the building through the 22' alley to the East of the existing theater. A large steel beam was placed along the length of the removed Eastern wall to carry the ends of the large wooden trusses and to bear the load of steel beams supporting a new ceiling in the auditorium and a new flat roof over the 22' wide addition. The central gable feature was removed from the facade and the large arched windows were closed with masonry on the third floor. The canopy was extended the width of the building. The entire interior must have been constructed new within the stretched exterior shell as part of this reconstruction. A street-level auditorium with an orchestra pit, and a larae balcony were constructed to serve a vaudeville and movie audience.
1938-1939 saw redesign of the interior in a subdued Art Deco style with fabric on the walls, acoustic tile on the proscenium, and air conditioning added. At this time, the canopy was also probably given its deco-style marquee cover and a large vertical illuminated "movie house" style sign was added. The theater has probably not been altered much since, except for some renovations to the front lobby and concessions area completed since 1980

STRUCTURE

The Coyle Theater building is red brick bearing party walls on the East and West property lines, with red brick masonry walls closing the North and South ends. The North wall facade was embellished with pilasters and a corbeled-brick cornice. The roof is a combination of a ridged roof with an added flat roof, all supported primarily by steel beams. The gable is supported by large wooden trusses. (See "History" section for a description of the roof construction.)

The main street-level floor of the building is concrete poured, apparently, on grade-beams, mostly unexcavated below. The stage floor is wood on concrete with a basement below. The balcony is supported on large transverse steel built-up beams and constructed with a system of steel risers and wooden treads.

The building seems basically to be structurally sound, but should be more closely inspected as the first step in the process of design of a 'renovation. Masonry walls and copings may need pointing and repair, steel members may be subject to concealed rusting, etc. The roof is built up. even on sloped portions, of bituminous-impregnated felt and tar. It will probably need replacement before too long.

Exterior doors and windows are original, made of wood, and are in very poor condition. Several of the exterior doors lack proper hardware and are held closed by means of wedges.
AUDITORIUM
The auditorium is generally square in shape, slightly wider than deep, with a single horseshoe-shaped balcony. Walls are pilastered, ceilings are flat. Only the back wall of the orchestra seating floor, front portions of the side walls below the balcony, the face of the balcony, and the front wall of the projection booth are curved. Finishes are plaster, except that major portions of the sidewall above the balcony are padded with fabric in a deco-style pattern.
The auditorium's shape should make its natural acoustics very good, though the size of the room may indicate that reverberation time could be low, making the auditorium more sympathetic to performances of dramatic theater, chamber music, and lectures than to full scale orchestral performances of romantic scores.
The proscenium surround seems well-shaped to assist natural acoustics, but is currently covered with sound-absorptive tile, which should be removed. Additionally, a large HVAC grille in the audience right side of the surround detracts from its acoustic properties

Seats on the orchestra floor are in two center and two side sections, divided by three aisles. Center sections are rows of 11 on each side of a center aisle. Across side aisles and along side walls are side seating sections with rows of 2 to 4 seats. Rows are spaced 30" back-to-back. A cross-aisle separates the back wall of the auditorium from the last rows of the two center sections. The last rows are on concrete risers about 3" high. Most seats are about 20" wide.

Seats in the front section of the balcony are also in 2 center and 2 side sections. The center section consists in rows of 12 on each side of a stepped center aisle. No seats have been placed against the sidewalls, but side sections there could accommodate an additional 18 seats on each side. Back-to-back spacing of front balcony seats is set by balcony riser spacing here at 32. Riser heights range from 15" to 17". Seats at the front of this section are 20" - 20-1/2" wide, but seats are only 18" - 19" wide at the back of this section. The balcony front rail is solid for a height of 1,-8" above the floor, but a metal rail mounted at the top brings the total height to 2'-7". No rail is provided between backs of seats in the last row of the front balcony and the cross-aisle between this and the second balcony.

The second balcony is faced with a rail which is 4'.-6" high at the front on the cross-aisle, but only 2'-0" high from the seats behind. Seats are in 4 sections with 3 aisles as below, but the center sections on each side of a stepped center aisle have only 8 seats in each row. A 25' wide, 8' deep projection booth takes up most of the back of these sections. Side sections have 3 to 7 seats per row, the number governed by a vomitorium at each side wall at the front of the section. Back-to-back spacing here is also dictated by the riser spacing, and is 31" to 31-1/2". Riser height is a more-or-less uniform 14-1/2".


As previously mentioned, balcony floors are wood attached to steel risers. These wood floors are somewhat noisy in spots, when walked-on. Steps in aisles are wood, and aisles are carpeted in a rather attractive deco-style patterned carpet.
Most seats seem to be of a 1920's vintage, with a cast iron row-end standard which incorporates ornamental work and a "clamshell" cover for integral aisle illumination. The chairs have wooden backs and seats upholstered in a variety of materials. The seats are not self-rising.
Because auditorium doors are in such poor condition, and because numerous other paths exist for sound to enter the auditorium, intrusive noise would be a problem during a concert or theater performance. Additionally, though the HVAC systems were not on while we were in the building, their age and the nature of their installation makes problems with HVAC noise almost a certainty.
ASBESTOS

Asbestos may be present in pipe insulation, "acoustic" tile, "acoustic" plaster, fireproofing, etc. The first priority of any renovation should be identification and abatement of this hazard by a qualified contractor.

HEATING, VENTILATING AND AIR CONDITIONING
Existing heating is a hot water system to radiators throughout the building. The auditorium and public spaces are heated and cooled by a forced-air system, with peripheral radiation and radiators at windows. The gas-fired boiler is located in a room underneath the stage where the gas service enters the building. Both this boiler and the 50-gallon domestic water heater in the same room seem to be of relatively recent vintage and in serviceable condition.
Flues for these gas-fired units cross the ceiling of the corridor below the stage.
Air conditioning is by chilled water produced by a central compressor/heat exchanger unit in a room under the stage. The condenser is roof-mounted. This electrically-powered unit is an antique, but current building staff seems to feel that it functions well.

Heat exchangers/air valves are located in small rooms at each side of the front of the Auditorium. The main fan is on the old fly floor on stage left in an enclosed space.
Ventilation is provided locally as required. including at the mezzanine-level ladies' restroom and at the projection room. The ventilation may not be adequate to provide the code-mandated airchanges.

Building insulation is minimal and should be supplemented.

Any complete renovation of the Coyle Theater would involve complete replacement of all HVAC systems. To save construction cost, the room-heat and domestic water heaters could continue to render service for a period of some years, as could, to a lesser extent, the air conditioning system.
Present condition and suitability of interior climate control as described by the building's present owners and users should be considered when necessary system renovations are evaluated.
PLUMBING

Water service and venting systems seem to be a mix of original and various renovations. No fixtures are in very good condition, and the number and location of fixtures is not suitable for any reasonable use of this facility. Plumbing systems should be completely renovated, with additions of fixtures as described elsewhere in this report.
The building is not sprinklered. Renovation would have to include provision of a pump and sprinkler system to include all spaces except the auditorium and other public spaces above grade.

ELECTRICAL

Power seems to be adequate for this theater's current use, but would probably need to be increased for any renovation or change of use. Electrical service and distribution equipment is antiquated and was installed at various locations through-out the building at the various times that new installation was required. Distribution should be centralized at the service entry and sub-distribution should be centralized in the three locations which will require maximum power concentrations: the stage, the front of the house, and the projection booth (where distribution to facade signs is also located).
General lighting levels seem very low and should probably be supplemented or lighting systems should be replaced. Orchestra seating floor has no aisle lighting, while balcony step-lighting is irregular.
All branch circuit wiring should be replaced in a complete renovation.
Emergency lighting is by batteries located in a room off the balcony above stage left.

The main house panel is in the stairway below the west vomitory which leads down to the Men's Restroom.

BASIC DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION:
1.      Lot Area: 66' X 100'
Approximate Total Building Area: 14,000 s.f.

2.      Major Interior Space Dimensions:
Seating Areas: Orchestra: 63' wide x 56' deep
Balcony:  63' wide x 46' deep
Volume of Auditorium: approx. 141,500 Cu. ft. Height of Orchestra to Ceiling: 43' Height of Orchestra to Balcony Soffit: 11' Height of Balcony to Ceiling: Front - 30'
Rear - II'
Lobby: 40' wide x 15' deep x 14' high

3.       Stage Dimensions:
Stage: 17' deep (+2' nose) x 39' wide

Proscenium: 34' wide x 22' high
Height visible from last row of orchestra seats: 15'
Fly Floors: 12' wide, 20' above stage

Grid Iron: 50' above stage
Stage Floor to Grade: 2'-2"
Height of stage floor above front of orchestra seating floor: 3'-6"
Orchestra Pit: 6' wide x 30' long (between stairs)
Seating capacity at 13 sq. ft./musician is 15 musicians

4.     Total Existing Seating: 871, with space for 59 more 19-20" seats
Orchestra: 531
Seats forward of balcony: 194 Seats under balcony: 337

Balcony: 340, with space for 59 more Section 1: 144, with space for 36 more Section 2: 196, with space for 23 more
Seating distance to stage (at centerline): First Row Orchestra: 10'

Last Row Orchestra:    61'
First Row Balcony:     35'
Last Row Balcony:      85'


POSSIBILITIES FOR RENOVATION
At various times in the past, the Coyle was probably an impressive, albeit small, performance hall and later a simple, but attractive, small movie theater. The theater is currently a worn movie theater which will shortly cease to be viable for any performance, cinematic or live, if the facility is not renovated.
A range of renovation possibilities should be considered, and the potential benefit should be weighed against the cost of the renovation. Though Charleroi planners are primarily interested in exploring the possibility of converting the Coyle to a multi-capability Performing Arts Center, the theater stands a better chance of remaining economically viable if capability of showing movies there is not designed away. Additionally, as a civic-minded renovation, the needs of a whole community to have a movie theater must not be ignored. It could even be decided that the cost of converting the Coyle into a Performing Arts Center is too great when weighed against the potential benefit, and so the present use of the theater should not change. The theater must, in this case, still be renovated in order to survive, but the costs will be much less.

FUNCTIONAL ISSUES
Whether renovation will be aimed at turning the Coyle into a Performing Arts Center or only to extending the viability of the theater as a movie house, certain structural and functional problems should be addressed as the minimum scope of work:
      1.      Asbestos Abatement: existing asbestos as previously explained, should
be located and removed by a qualified contractor.

$10,000 - $100,000
Assume for estimating: $50,000

2. Structure: existing structure should be thoroughly checked and repaired or supplemented as required.
$5,000 min.

     3.     Site: handicapped access should be provided.          $15,000
      4.      Exterior Envelope:
a. Roof membrane should be replaced with repair of substrate and
probably addition of insulation.                                        $40,000
b. Masonry walls and copings should be repaired and repointed as
required.                                                               $30,000
c. Insulation should be added wherever possible.      $25,000
d. Exterior windows should be replaced or rebuilt with thermal
glazing.                                                                 $5,000
e. Exterior doors should be replaced or rebuilt with new hardware and
weatherstripping.         $15,000
f Marquee, large sign, and display boxes should be checked
for cosmetic and structural defects and repaired as required       $5,000
5. Interior:
a.Doors: all doors and hardware should be replaced or repaired as
required.         $15,000
b. Handrails at stairs should be replaced or repaired.        $5,000
c. All restrooms should be completely renovated as previously
described.                                                              $40,000
d. General improvement and repair should be done with attention to details: repairs of scorched lampshades, replacement of seat-end
"clamshells", patching of carpet, etc.                                  $80,000
6.     A new air-conditioning unit should be provided, and existing heating system should receive a thorough inspection and renovation as required. Ventilation should be upgraded as required.
$125.000
7.     Plumbing system especially fixtures, should be completely renovated,
with number of fixture increased.                                       $75,000
8.     Main electrical service should be replaced and branch circuits replaced or renovated as suggested after careful inspection and
evaluation of existing. $100,000
Estimate Subtotal: $690.000
CODE ISSUES
Design for renovation should account for many features of the existing structure which are not in conformance with current codes. Some of these are:
1. No access-way is.provided for handicapped patrons. Nor are restrooms provided which are usable by patrons in wheelchairs. This subject was addressed in the previous section.
2.     Existing auditorium seats are not of the self-rising type. This means that back-to-back spacing does not give the 12" walking room prescribed. Even new self-rising seats on the main floor would probably not allow sufficient space unless the spacing was increased. Aisles on the orchestra seating floor are not lit -- those in the balcony are only lit intermittently. The rail at the front of the balcony is of insufficient height at the bottoms of the step aisles.
All seats should be replaced (a new seat can incorporate the design of the antique cast ends) or a variance obtained for continued use of the existing seats. Aisle-lighting should be brought to Code conformance
both in the orchestra and at both balconies. $100,000
3. All areas of the building except the auditorium and public areas above
grade should be sprinklered. $50,000
4.Wallcovering fabrics, carpet, and seat upholstery in the auditorium is probably fifty years old and may not retard flame-spread and inhibit release of noxious fumes as required by modern codes. Carpet should be replaced. $25,000
5.     Proscenium has no fire curtain. One should be provided. $25,000
6.     Smoke hatches above the stage may not function, and should be checked
and replaced or rebuilt. $15,000


7.Exit doors hardware does not function properly, and in some cases doors have been wedged shut. This is a dangerous situation and should be corrected immediately. This sublect was also addressed in the previous section.
8.Number of restroom fixtures is inadequate. Restrooms should be renovated. This subject was addressed in the previous section.
9.Stairs, ramps, etc, are not designed with landings and slopes in conformance with modern codes. Variances should be obtained to allow continued use.
10.Electrical service and distribution equipment is antiquated and isntalled in a cumulative fashion which makes the system disorganized and possibly hazardous. All electrical service and main distribution circuits should be renovated as previously described.
Estimate Running Subtotal: 5895,000
MINIMUM RENOVATION

A minimum renovation of the theater should address all the issues described above and could cost from $500.000 to $1,000,000. (A complete renovation, without major alteration or addition, should be budgeted at about $70/s.f.) Construction could take a year to a year and a half following a minimum 6-month period for preparation of drawings and specifications. Architectural costs for this work would be in the neighborhood of 8-10% of construction cost.
AUDITORIUM

The Coyle auditorium is a simple but pleasant room which could remain essentially unchanged in appearance through renovation, but which would benefit from attention devoted to reversal of the progressive dilapidation which has been allowed to claim the space for the past thirty years. Apart from the more important changes listed elsewhere in this report, such as removal of the tiles around the proscenium, or addition of a lights boom/bridge near the front of the house, only repair and painting is necessary in most of this space. The seating, however, was designed fifty years ago. Besides its non-conformance to current Codes, it is not constructed to the current accepted standards for audience comfort and
should be re-designed.     Climate control systems, also, are fifty years
old. They should be replaced by systems which will also meet current comfort and energy-efficiency standards, but which will meet the strict low-noise criteria of an auditorium for performing arts.

SEATS

The original seats themselves are sturdy and rather comfortable. The cast iron standards and perhaps even the wooden backs can be retained and re-used, after re-working, re-upholstering, and re-finishing. The seat pans and hinges, because they are not self-rising, should be replaced, but the seats themselves could be re-upholstered in a material woven to match the original.
Estimated Cost: $100,000
As previously described, the layout of the seats could be redesigned to meet current Codes, increase audience comfort by allowing greater width per seat and greater space between rows, and even maximize seat pricing and number of seats which can be accommodated. Here is one way to do this (which is also shown on the accompanying drawings):
Orchestra Floor: a center section could be provided with 18 seats in each of 19 rows from the orchestra pit rail to the back wall. Row spacing of 34" is a minimum for comfort, but allows four additional seats, per 1984 BOCA Code, over the old 14-seat maximum. (14 seats is still the Pa. Fire & Panic Code maximum, so variance would be required.) Existing risers would have to be altered (in an additive way, to minimize demolition) to meet the new 34" spacing, and the rear cross-aisle would be eliminated. Radiators at the rear of the seating would be relocated, since seats would be placed directly in front of them.

Aisles on each side of the center seating section would widen from 42" at the front to two 5' door pairs at the back. Doors at the front of the orchestra floor are not necessary for exiting -- the rearward pair would be eliminated, and the forward pair would be converted to a single 3' wide door. Sloping of floors in these front corners would be eliminated -- height difference to stage would be taken up by stairs between the auditorium and the stage.

Side seating sections would again have rows spaced at 34", with number of seats per row varying from 2 at the front to 6 in most rows.
All seats would be about 21" wide, which should be very comfortable for most people.
As previously described, aisle lighting should be provided.
This arrangement would accommodate 516 seats on the orchestra seating floor, with no center aisle where the most expensive seats should be.
Sightlines to the stage floor -- and this translates to soundlines, also -- should, mainly due to the small size of the house, be very good. The overhead cutoff of the proscenium opening due to the balcony overhang is rather severe at back rows, but this is not an unusual condition, and can be taken into consideration in the production of events and in the pricing structure of the seats.
First Balcony: Back-to-back spacing of first balcony seats would remain fixed at 32" by the existing risers, but the center stepped aisle would be eliminated by moving the steps. A single center seating section would have 16 seats in each of the 6 rows. The two aisles would have a constant 4' width defined by the width of the wooden steps. Seating sections on each side would have 6 rows of 8 seats each. Again, variance would be required from the state for the row widths greater than 14 in the center and 7 on the sides.
Small stageward legs of the front balcony would be devoted to private seating boxes which could accommodate perhaps 6 loose seats on each side.
This arrangement will accommodate 192 seats (not counting box seats) in the First Balcony.

All seats will be about 21" wide.
The rail at the front of the balcony should be raised at stepped aisle ends, in conformance with Code. A new rail should be provided at the front of the cross-aisle behind the last row of seats.
Second Balcony: steps and risers in the second balcony should remain unchanged. With existing back-to-back spacing of 31 to 31 1/2", 208 seats 21" wide should be accommodated in two center sections 8 seats wide and in side sections 3 to 7 seats wide. Approximately 20 seats could be lost if developers decide that followspot/projection operators require a-toilet facility.

Sightlines throughout the balcony are generally very good for the stage with its front in the current position. If the stage is thrust out into the auditorium to gain depth, sightlines to those portions forward of the proscenium will not be as satisfactory.

CLIMATE CONTROL
New fans and ductwork should be provided in the attic and in the space inside the balcony to sufficiently increase the cross-sectional area of the air supply system so that more cooling air can be supplied to the audience (to increase their comfort) at a much lower rate of speed (to reduce the noise generated by the system). Fan rooms must be acoustically isolated, and large accommodations must be made to the larger volume of equipment and ductwork which will be necessary to achieve the comfort level and acoustic control desired for a satisfactory climate control system.
Estimated Cost: $250,000



PUBLIC SPACES
As with stage support facilities, the existing Coyle Theater has very little of the necessary lounge, lobby, concession, and restroom space, and virtually no space for the great volume of additional space which is required to provide these amenities which are so necessary to a functional performing arts center.
While a typical theater patron requires 7 square feet of seating space in the auditorium, he can use 10 square feet or more when he is not confined by his seat at intermission or while entering a show. Everyone, however, does not leave their seat at the same time, and so the total area of public spaces generally needs not exceed that of the auditorium.
Concessions are generally liked by theater patrons but are really required by the operators of the theater, who find that the income generated by sales of food, souvenirs, and liquor are an indispensible supplement to their receipts. There are never enough. One feature which is universally sought after by managers of performing arts centers is space for a club, where favored patrons can meet for a meal, a drink, or just a discussion. Such a club space, though, is a luxury and is not accounted for in our proposed program.
The restroom facilities at the Coyle are seriously deficient, as has been previously discussed, and should be a priority for renovation.
The existing lobby and concession area could be expanded by moving the back wall of the auditorium into the seating area. The cost of this alternative in seats lost probably exceeds the benefit of the relatively minor addition of space which could be realized.

Because the Coyle cannot accommodate additional public spaces in the existing building, adjacent space must be found. This report and the accompanying drawings of the proposed renovation are predicated on the availability of space in the next-door building for stage support, public spaces, and management spaces.

Estimated cost of improving public spaces: $250,

MANAGEMENT SPACES
As previously discussed, the complex nature of the facility and the greater marketing requirements of the constituents make the management space needs of a performing arts center far greater than can be accommodated in the one room which is currently allocated for that purpose in the Coyle Theater. These spaces should be provided in the building adjacent to the theater, where they will probably take a whole floor.
Estimated Cost: $150,000
(not including property acquisition costs)
TOTAL ESTIMATED PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RENOVATION COSTS:

Minimum Renovation:     $ 595,000
(Excluding Restrooms, HVAC, and seats)

Stage, Public Spaces, and Management Spaces Renovation: (Including Restrooms, HVAC, and seats, excluding

property acquisition, professional fees, etc.)



TOTAL: $2,395,000

The previously-listed estimated costs are intended only as a very rough indicator of the relative magnitudes of construction costs for various scopes of work. The total, however, should probably be accurat to within 20%. A budget for complete renovation should be $120-$150/s.f., not including property acquisition costs, professional fees, etc.

For comparison, a new Performing Arts Center could probably be constructed for $150 per square foot or for a building with the program size of the Coyle Theater, $3.5-$4 million dollars.











RECOMMENDATION


To make the Coyle Theater a center for staging of diverse performing arts would be a difficult and expensive undertaking. The result could be a quite satisfactory small facility. The limited seating, and so limited ticket sales, would make amortization of the construction cost nearly impossible. Coyle Center for the Performing Arts would have great difficulty competing in an open theatrical marketplace with some surrounding university or high school auditoriums which have lower operating expenses, no construction debt, and a greater number of seats to sell. The ambience of the Coyle would be a huge plus, but a great deal of community support will be necessary for a long time to allow this conversion of the Coyle.

On the other hand, a movie theater is an amenity which no community should be without, and the Coyle is the last movie theater in downtown Charleroi. The community could benefit by the repair and renovation of the Coyle to continue to fill the purpose for which it has been built, not only by the continuation of the cinema service, but by the improvement of a pleasant historical building on the main street. Some smaller live performances which require minimal support could continue to be staged there.

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