While there may be no performances any time soon, the Streator High School auditorium renovation is a couple finishing touches from being completed.

Despite the school being closed during the governor’s stay-at-home order, construction continued, except two contractors who recalled their staff because of the order.

Those contractors are for the theater lighting and the stage curtain – and they will finish their work as soon as the governor’s order is lifted.

“Everything else is done,” said Streator High Superintendent Matt Seaton. “It’s all dressed up, and it has nowhere to go.”

The $8.6 million project would have been on schedule to open at the beginning of the month for the school’s spring musical, “Beauty and the Beast.” However, the musical has been canceled.

The project is $50,000 under budget, too, Seaton said.

The restoration occurred without an increase to the property tax levied by the district, which borrowed $10.6 million total. Of that amount, $6.6 million qualifies as health, life and safety projects throughout the entire building, including roofs in other areas of the building.

Seaton said there may be a few touch-ups with painting and there was a snafu with the seating system.

“It’s getting a top-to-bottom cleaning,” Seaton said. “We had DSI come out to clean it.”

The restored auditorium will provide a more intimate venue with a larger stage. There is less seating, with the house changing from a 1,100 capacity to 600, but balcony seating still is available.

Acoustics were improved by curved fixtures on the ceiling and in the auditorium. A control room was added on the main floor, and a lighting/technology room on the balcony.

A ticket booth and coat room were added to the lobby. TV screens were installed to allow visitors to see the action inside the house from the lobby, and entryways have a double set of doors to keep outside light and noise from entering the house.

“It’s beautiful,” Seaton said. “We can’t wait to get the public in to see it. We’ll host an event as soon as we can.”