Dramatic changes are coming to the Herberger Theater Center.

The 21-year-old Downtown Phoenix center is undergoing a $16.6 million overhaul that will change the venue inside and out.

The construction project is in its second and final phase with a celebration planned when work is completed in October.

“It is both exciting and scary at the same time,” said Mark Mettes, the center’s vice president.

Workers have peeled away part of the side of the building along Monroe Street and have begun painting the theater’s exterior. Over the next few months, crews will build a larger entrance on the west end of the Monroe Street side. Instead of two doors, there will be five doors. They also will build a concessions window and a patio with tables and chairs.

On the Van Buren Street side, an upgraded entrance is being built for the black-box theater, which will be renamed the Kax, after late Valley philanthropist Katherine “Kax” Herberger. She and her late husband, G. Robert Herberger, were early supporters of the theater.

They gave a $3 million challenger grant that paved the way for other private money that helped the center get started, Mettes said.

The interior of the theater also will be renovated.

A new light fixture will go in the center of the rotunda that will show off the height of the space. It will be made with individual suspended glass balls containing individual LEDs, Mettes said.

“It will change the look of the room,” the theater executive said. “It will sparkle inside and out.”

The construction plan also calls for a second-floor lounge, which will be named after G. Robert Herberger. It will be a place where theatergoers can mingle before or after performances. It also can be a place where donors or resident companies can be entertained, Mettes said.

Upgrades to the bathrooms and improved access for the disabled are scheduled, as well as new carpeting, light fixtures and a fresh coat of paint in the lobby.

Last summer, workers made mechanical and electrical upgrades. The theater closed May 17 for renovations. The Herberger chose this time of year because it would have minimal impact on the performance schedule. The resident theater companies don’t perform there during the summer.
The theater is using bond money that voters approved in 2006.

Each year, about 175,000 people attend performances at the Herberger. That figure has gone down a bit because of construction, but the theater expects attendance figures to rise again when the project is complete, Mettes said.