The Chamberlain City Hall remodel project continues to move forward with a push from the Chamberlain School District and support from Chamberlain City Commission.

Koch Hazard Architects of Sioux Falls are in the midst of a feasibility study on turning Main Street’s City Hall into a performing arts center. Chamberlain School District is funding the study for $14,784, which comes from a capital outlay funding set aside for the potential project.

Koch Hazard is in the early stages of developing plans, which should be available for public review by mid-September.

So far, the architects have looked over the City Hall building and gathered input from school instructors and community officials. They expect to have two to three options to present to the school board and city commissioners in August.

While the project is only in the preliminary stages, potential funding and cost projections have been tossed around during city commission and school board meetings.

“We’re trying to look at a project of around $1-1.5 million. That’s what I think is realistic,” said Chamberlain Superintendent Tim Mitchell.

The school district and the City of Chamberlain have committed to partial funding of the project.

The building, which has been vacant for nearly four years, is owned by the City of Chamberlain and will be contributed for the project.

As Chamberlain Mayor Doug Nelson put it, the City has a building that needs to be put to use.

“That’s a good prospect for it,” said Nelson, regarding the potential arts center.

Friends of the Performing Arts (FOPA) are also supportive with potential for additional funding from FOPA fundraising and other private donations.

Earlier this month – on Thursday, July 10 – a group of fine arts instructors from Chamberlain schools and city officials met for an afternoon to brainstorm ideas for the project with Jeff Hazard, principal architect with Koch Hazard.

“I need you to tell me what it is you want the building to do for the community,” said Hazard at the meeting.

Fine arts instructors focused primarily on needs for the students - including sufficient performance space, seating for up to 500, storage space, acoustics, lighting and sound.

They also recognized the basic needs for the community.

Vocal instructor Faye Stryzewski summarized community needs as an audience - they need a place to sit comfortably with temperature control and they need to be able to see and hear, she said.

The group tossed around a variety of ideas, needs and wants for a performing arts center as it related to both the school and the community.

On the City’s side, Nelson noted the possibility of adding office space for the Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally, he said the city commissioners would like to see the front part of the building (which includes stairs and office space now) saved and the remainder demolished and rebuilt.

The question was, which will be cheaper - retrofitting the current building or saving the front and rebuilding the back portion.

“Your instincts are probably right ... but you’d have to analyze the options,” said Hazard to Nelson, thinking rebuilding would be less expensive.

To wrap up the meeting, Hazard is taking the ideas to come up with two or three options to present to the group in August.