The Highlands Performing Arts Center provides the community with a first-class entertainment and performance venue. The PAC, as it’s known around town, features a new 300-seat theater with sky-high ceilings designed and constructed to offer rich acoustics throughout. Outside of the theater, guests have access to a full-service bar and comfortable seating where they can relax until curtain.

The Specs & Construction Process

Expanding on the property’s existing auditorium, the ground-up construction of the Performing Arts Center incorporated both wood paneling and precast metal.

Construction began in July, and with the hazardous conditions of fall and winter approaching quickly, the project team had to work quickly and efficiently to complete the roofing portion of the project by Thanksgiving. At the time, roofing materials were difficult to secure with lead times hovering around one year. However, thanks to a strong network of industry partners, the Choate team was able to obtain the materials needed to complete the roof before the harsh conditions set in.

In order to protect the exposed finished concrete flooring, the project team completed all steel beams, catwalks, and other ceiling work in the auditorium before placing the concrete slab.

To ensure a seamless fit between the old and new buildings – as well as visual cohesion between the varied siding materials used – the project team installed expansion joints at four separate points, expertly filling and waterproofing roughly four-inch gaps to provide a high-quality product.