Oswego East High School’s Performing Arts Center is expected to reopen in early February after being closed for emergency repairs following a recent investigation that revealed fireproofing problems and ceiling integrity issues.

The project should be substantially completed by Feb. 5, architect Alex Lopez from Performance Services told Oswego School Board members during their Jan. 12 board meeting.

The arts center is a 963-seat auditorium that opened in early 2005.

At the Sept. 8 board meeting, board members approved a $494,621 contract with Performance Services to do the repairs. Performance Services submitted the lowest bid.

“Some of the steel in the Performing Arts Center is protected by a film called intumescent paint or intumescent coating that protects the steel in case of a fire,” Lopez told board members, “Over the last 20 years or so, there’s been some delamination lately, pretty severe, due to potentially many things.”

Oswego School District 308 chief financial officer and chief school business official Raphael Obafemi said repairs needed to be made to maintain building safety and compliance with state fire code requirements.

“The school’s auditorium serves as a primary instructional space and is also designated as OEHS’s main storm shelter,” Obafemi and other district officials said in a memo to school board members.

As part of the project, Performance Services is doing such things as applying a new intumescent coat system, replacing acoustical ceiling cloud systems and installing new LED light fixtures.

“One of the things we had to do was strip the entire area, meaning the acoustical ceilings, tile, the electrical fixtures and any devices that are in there,” Lopez said. “And most of them ended up in the garbage because we’re going to replace them with new systems.”

The new paint is expected to last for the life of the building.

“It could be 80 or 90 years,” Lopez said.

During the meeting, several parents and students – including those involved in the school’s theater group – expressed disappointment the annual winter performance will take place on a Wednesday and Thursday this year (Feb. 18 and 19) rather than on a weekend, when more people would be able to see the performance.