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Timothv Klusczinski, President, Historic Preservation Commission — Sep. 17, 2012 page 13 the east end or front of the Avon building, the basement ceiling is 9'-6" high, still a little low for modern office space that would contain HVAC ducting and lighting above in a suspended ceiling. The basement ceiling height would need to be increased throughout its 6,552 sq. ft. by at least 3'-6". to be able to convert this space into usable office space in the new Main Library. This could be accomplished by removing the existing cement floor of the Avon's present basement, excavating the entire floor to a depth that would achieve at least a 10' suspended ceiling heights throughout, and then install the new cement floor with a 4" thick slab of concrete. Since this excavation would disturb the footings of the building, some type of permanent shoring would need to be installed with the new cement floor to ensure the integrity of the outside walls and any interior bearing walls that supported the I" floor. This might be difficult to achieve and, if not done carefully with engineering studies, could result in the collapse of one or more of the Avon's exterior walls. Reclaiming the basement level of the Avon as usable office space in the new Main Library building could become a very expensive part of this repurposing project. - Level One (Street level): 42'W x 156'D = 6,552 sq. ft. This level of the present Avon Theatre has two sloped floors, one that slopes up as one enters the front lobby of the theatre and the other, much longer floor that slopes down into the theatre to its stage. This longer sloped floor once held about 700 theatre seats. The cement floor appears to be in fair condition. Except for two seats, all the former seating has been removed by a previous owner (Note: we have heard that several years ago, except for its balcony seats, most of its seats were removed from the Avon and installed at the State Theatre, which at the time was a "Local South Bend Historic Landmark," as an attempt to repurpose the State Theatre and make it useful again. The cement floor would have to be thoroughly cleaned and patched as needed and new seating and carpeting would have to be installed if the space is retained as a theatre. If the space is not retained as a theatre, then the entire floor would have to be made level again and large holes would have to be made through its north and south walls to connect this space with the rest of the Main Library's first floor. If retained as a theatre, then all existing finishes and fixtures would need to be renewed or replaced throughout since its walls are badly flaking plaster and peeling paint, and there is mildew along the insides of those walls from when the Avon's roof leaked badly. Whether or not the high vaulted ceiling is insulated is another unknown, but it probably is not because of the period in which the last major (1949) renovation was done. The old ceiling would have to be removed, insulated, and reinstalled. New or reconditioned lighting, a new modern sound system, video projection system, projection screens and stage curtain systems, all with central controls, would also need to be installed. The stage, which originally was designed to hold just a few people, would have to be replaced with a modern production stage that could be used for multiple purposes. Presently there is no stage lighting. In fact, all of the electrical wiring, except for the main Recipient of the 2009 Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence www.libraryforlife.org