Metropolis theater seats will be upgraded
Patrons of shows at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in downtown Arlington Heights will soon be able to sit back and relax in refurbished seats.
The village board Monday approved a $34,157 contract to refurbish the theater's 309 seats, which will include new padding, repair of supports, oiling of all parts, and replacement of worn fabric. The board delayed a vote on the bid package last month when Trustee John Scaletta, the former operator of the downtown Arlington Theaters, questioned the price as being too high.
Scaletta said he originally thought costs could have been 30 percent lower. But upon further evaluation, he said Monday, the three proposals Metropolis received, ranging from $34,157 to $64,890, took into account Illinois' prevailing wage act, which requires laborers to be paid at a higher rate for certain public projects.
"The (seats) are definitely being used, and I want to see this done," Scaletta said of the seat upgrades.
"I just want to make sure we have a discussion because this board is not just going to be a rubber stamp to the desires of Metropolis."
As the theater's assets are owned and paid for by the village, trustees get to vote on capital expenditures recommended by the theater staff. Officials budgeted $35,000 for the seat work, coming from the village's total $469,000 contribution to the theater this year.
Metropolis Executive Director Joe Keefe said the seat repairs should extend their life by seven to 10 years. The seats were installed when the theater opened in 2000.
Crews are scheduled to do the seat repair work next week.