Entry No. 3
Late in 2019, The War Memorial embarked on a journey to build a more inspired future. With our construction project officially underway, we remain committed to building a permanent home for art, culture, and the humanities right here in Grosse Pointe.
Each month, we’ll provide a brief snapshot of where our project stands: a behind-the-scenes look at the people, ideas, and processes driving this vision. We look forward to keeping our community, stakeholders, supporters, and professional staff apprised of our progress: a touchpoint for all involved to see the creation of our new space, start to finish.
May has been full steam ahead for our construction project, and we are eager to share with the community a few updates. First and foremost, we should acknowledge that while vaccines become available and millions already vaccinated, The War Memorial is committed to maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for all who visit. Our staff will continue to wear masks both inside and outside on our campus, and we remain diligent in promoting a safe atmosphere within our construction site.
Working closely under the leadership of our owner’s representative, Wesley Lawrence, the following updates have occurred over the past month:
Except for the stairwell leading down to The Patriot Theater lobby, demolition of the ballroom has been completed.
Sitework of the campus’ storm and sewer structures has been finalized.
The first phase of the foundation for the new terrace has begun. The new terrace will extend off the ballroom and overlook Lake Saint Clair.
With the removal of the formal gardens and fountain in April, earthwork has begun with a new pad for the addition (community room, pre-function space, and reflection room) to sit on.
Within the building, work continues as the electricians and mechanical team begin to install the necessary parts and pieces needed to provide the new facility with state-of-the-art electricity, heating, and cooling.
Earlier this month, Wesley and Charles Burke, our president and CEO, took a trip to Winchester, Kentucky, to observe the precast columns. Check out the finished product below!
And even in the wake of construction and renovation, The War Memorial continues to offer the community world-class hospitality services and artistic programming. Next week, we host our friends from Opera MODO for an outdoor performance of Into the Woods, and then we kick off Memorial Week with a moving virtual presentation for Memorial Day, followed by Our Community Salutes.
Check out the gallery below for a current view of our site! Things look different, but we are eager to be on track for a spring/summer 2022 opening.
