Restoration continues on Con

Ryan Moore
Staff Writer
April 22, 2004, Page 1

Restoration of the Whitcomb Conservatory, better known as “The Con,” is now schedualed to be completed on August 16.
The original date of completion was Decomber of 2004.
Initial interest for the restoration of The Con was sparked by alumni, as well as the need for an additional congregating place on campus.
“We didn’t have a space for 250 people to come and congregate,” said Pappy Khouri, vice-president of Financial Affairs. “The Con provides us with the perfect hall for middle-sized venues.”
Keith Hale, director of Theatre, is also excited about the smaller venue size,
“One hundred people is a great crowd for a show, but in Heckman Auditorium, which seats 500, the house looks empty but with the new performance hall, the house will look full,” Hale said.
Bahr Vermeer and Haecker Archetics out of Omaha are in charge of the project. Some of their restoration obligations include structural repair to the 10 sided roof, installation of a new mechanical system including a heating and cooling plant and elevator, new wiring and plumbing, cosmetic restoration, and landscaping.
The Con will soon serve as a home for the Doane’s theater and forensics departments and will offer efficient state-of-the-art theater and meeting spaces.
Along with hosting Doane theatre productions, musical recitals, student convocations, and alumni activities, Crete community events will also be held.
“The Con is going to give us a lot more flexibility,” Hale said. “The more available space will allow us to add shows, and we will be able to run shows two weekends instead of one.”
The project which was started with a $919, 054 grant from the Housing and Urban Development organization, as well as generous donations, is still 1 million dollars short.
“Right now we are working on fund raising from about anyone we feel may donate to the project. We’ve contacted alumni, foundations, Nebraska Senators, historical preservation groups, as well as others,” Khouri said.
Built in 1906-07, the Con is the only non-domestic Prairie School structure in Nebraska, and is listed in the national registry of historical places.
The historic building has also been rumored to be occupied by a ghost.
For 65 years the Conservatory served dual purposes as a chapel and musical conservatory.
All students attended weekly required chapel services as well as regular convocations in the auditorium located in the middle of the building.
Concerts and theater productions were also originally held there as well as the music department offices and practice rooms.
The building has been vacant since 1971 and until this year was being used for storage.