New lighting, sound systems installed at Baker Center in St. Charles

Theatrical lighting and sound systems have been installed in the auditorium of the Baker Community Center, creating new opportunities for the historic St. Charles building to be used as a performance venue.

The upgrades were designed and completed late last year by the Norris Cultural Arts Center through an agreement with the park district, which operates the Baker facility. Though the arts center organization plans to use the space for future events, board member Mark Smith said, the project was intended as a gift to the St. Charles community as a whole.

"This was kind of a win-win," he said. "The community benefits from it, and we benefit from having a second performance venue, which happens to be in a very high-traffic downtown area."

The 95-year-old Baker Center is used for some park district programming, such as dance classes and small-scale recitals, Director Holly Cabel said. The auditorium is also frequently rented for weddings, graduation parties and other gatherings, including a 2017 fundraising gala celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Norris Cultural Arts Center.

During the event, the organization brought in its own equipment to put on a funny musical production for its audience, Smith said. Working through those logistics was somewhat of a challenge, he said, but that didn't stop organizers from recognizing the facility's potential.

"Our experience made us realize that could be a real interesting performance venue if we had sufficient lighting and sound systems," he said. "Now they've got a more professional, capable stage and an infrastructure that would go along to support a much bigger variety of events."

The cultural arts center negotiated a deal with the park district to design and install the new infrastructure and train facility staff members on how to use it, Smith said. In turn, the organization can use the space for free 12 days a year for the next five years.

Funds for the project were available in a trust created by the late Lester and Dellora Norris, St. Charles philanthropists who founded the cultural arts center, Smith said. He declined to disclose the exact cost of the improvements, but said it was in the "low six-figure range."

The Baker Center underwent a major renovation in 2017 - a project spearheaded by the facility's board - that added an elevator, bathrooms, air conditioning, heating and other improvements to make the building more accessible.

The recent upgrades completed by the cultural arts center were more specific to the use of the auditorium, enhancing its current and future rental opportunities, Cabel said.

"The result really is about the community center being able to offer additional cultural events," she said.

Expanding the opportunity for that type of programming aligns with the Norris family's vision and the overarching mission of the arts center, Smith said. Already, the organization has scheduled an event series at the Baker Center that includes four Saturday night concerts and four Wednesday afternoon events. Details can be found at norrisculturalarts.com.

"We think it makes a lot of sense, and the park district agrees with us," Smith said. "We're forging ahead and hoping for good reception from the community."