Hale's Sandy theater gets a new name as final beam is put in place


13 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SANDY — A crane lifted a final, 660-pound steel beam 100 feet in the air Friday — the last piece to finish off the steel structure of Hale Centre Theatre's new home in Sandy.

The beam was covered in hundreds of signatures belonging to city officials, construction crews, Hale Centre Theatre leaders and others who've helped realize the $73 million, 130,000-square-foot giant now edging closer to its 2017 opening.

"This is a magnificent day," said Mark Dietlein, the theater's president, choking back tears at Friday's celebration. "There has been miracle after miracle that have made this incredible endeavor a reality. Any other theater in the world will be incapable of doing what we will be able to do on this stage."

The topping-off ceremony, based on a Scandinavian tradition, is meant to celebrate the placement of a building's highest piece, said Jeff Beecher, executive vice president of Layton Construction, who has overseen the project. He explained an evergreen tree would be attached to the piece for good luck.

"The whole community would celebrate the milestone, which is what we're doing today," he said.

To add to the celebrations, Hale Centre Theatre officials also announced the 1,367-seat theater's new name: the Mountain America Performing Arts Centre.

That's thanks to an unspecified donation from the theater's future neighbor, Mountain America Credit Union, which is building new headquarters directly north of the theater.

While Sally Dietlein, Hale Centre Theatre's vice president, said the amount Mountain America Credit Union donated is confidential, she said private donors have contributed nearly $30 million.

"I couldn't be more proud to put the Mountain America name on this great facility that is truly one of the jewels of the state," said Sterling Nielsen, the bank's president and CEO.

Layton Construction crews perform a topping-out ceremony with a signed 16-foot beam on the new Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Layton Construction crews perform a topping-out ceremony with a signed 16-foot beam on the new Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Sally Deitlein said she couldn't think of a more fitting name for the theater.

"There is no more beautiful of a name to stamp us right here in the middle of the Rocky Mountains — a firm foothold in the entire Intermountain West," she said.

More than 14 months have passed since the theater's groundbreaking, when the project was first slated to cost $65 million. Over time, the budget has grown to $73 million thanks to donations, Sally Dietlein said.

"What it says about the community is people look for causes they believe in, and when they find it, they give," she said. "Utah is full of a bunch of givers."

To help finance the project, the Sandy City Council approved a $42.7 million bond with an agreement from Hale Centre Theatre to pay back the city in full over time.

Grand openings for the theater's two stages are slated for the fall of 2017 — one in September and the other in November.

Friday also marked one of the first looks inside the massive concrete structure.

Sally Dietlein, Hale Centre Theatre co-founder, takes dignitaries on a tour of the new facility in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, during a topping-out ceremony. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Sally Dietlein, Hale Centre Theatre co-founder, takes dignitaries on a tour of the new facility in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, during a topping-out ceremony. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

As Sally Dietlein gave a tour of the in-progress lobby, the 467-seat Jewel Box Stage and the 900-seat Centre Stage, she described the planned decor: chandeliers, "ruby-red" stage curtains, burgundy flooring.

"It's going to be so beautiful," she said.

More than 100 crew members have worked on the project, removing 72,400 cubic yards of dirt, placing 9,200 cubic yards of concrete, 1,800 tons of structural steel and 1,700 tons of reinforcing steel.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan said the theater will be Sandy's "crown jewel," a building that will be standing for the next "thousand years."

"This is such a statement for us and for our citizens," he said. "This is a key project for our future."

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahEntertainment
Katie McKellar

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast