America First Performing Arts Center
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ARCHITECTURAL TEAM | John Sparano, Anne Mooney, Dan Gasser, Mark James
CONTRACTOR | Layton Construction
ACOUSTICIAN | Kirkegaard
CIVIL | Alpha Engineering
ELECTRICAL | Spectrum Engineers
LANDSCAPE | Landmark Design
MECHANICAL | Resolut
STRUCTURAL | KPFF
THEATER PLANNER | Theatre Projects
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The M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center is located along the western edge of the Utah Tech University campus in St. George, Utah. The original facility was built in 1986, and over the years the needs of the community and University have outgrown the building. The venue serves both the University and its student body, as well as community arts organizations. A diverse array of regional events are held at the venue, including concerts, dance recitals, theatrical productions, performances by touring artists, conferences and University functions. The venue’s user groups include the Dixie State University Symphonic Band, Southwest Symphony, Southern Utah Heritage Choir, UT Live, and the Celebrity Concert Series. These organizations produce and present the majority of the annual events that supplement those hosted by the student body and University.
Following a facility assessment and feasibility study to understand the near and long-term viability of the M. K. Cox Performing Arts Center, our team was retained to undertake a full-scale renovation of and addition to the existing venue, now named the America First Performing Arts Center.
Our team has upgraded the existing facilities and designed an approximately 26,000 square-foot addition to better align the building's program with the needs of the surrounding community. Project improvements include much-needed restroom and dressing room updates (including for ADA compliance), additional office space for staff, a fully-reconfigured seating arrangement in the main audience chamber to facilitate a better overall patron experience and accommodate patrons with diverse mobility requirements, the addition of a large rehearsal and event space for the University and community to use, an expansion of the main lobby and upgrades to the entry plaza of the building.
