SEATTLE (AP) — An aging sports arena, formerly used for rock concerts and minor league hockey games, is being overhauled to serve as the temporary home of the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
When the $6 million, six-month project is completed next month, the Mercer Arena will be reopened as the Mercer Arts Arena for 18 months of performances while the Opera House is renovated and strengthened against earthquakes.
Both neighboring buildings date from the World's Fair of 1962. They are part of the same complex that includes the Space Needle.
"In many respects, the arena will give us some better facilities than we had in the Opera House," ballet co-director Kent Stowell said Tuesday.
Still missing from the arena are most of the seats, which remain in the Opera House for the holiday run of the ballet's Nutcracker.
The stage closely resembles that of the Opera House. Stairways to the balcony are steeper and lobbies are smaller. There are no facilities for serving hot food, but there are twice as many restrooms.
A curved "floating cloud" acoustical element, built like an airplane wing, is suspended above the orchestra pit and can be tilted, raised or lowered to direct the sound.
The first tests are performances of the opera "Madame Butterfly," starting Jan. 12, and the ballet "Carmen," opening Jan. 31.