Step inside the former Great Hall of Open Space for Arts &Community, and you’ll see why the theater’s been black since the beginning of May. In the cavernous space, two-by-fours and steel I-beams frame what will soon become the new shape of the old K-2 warehouse.

The organization recently passed the halfway mark for its building renovation, and project manager Karen Biondo couldn’t be more pleased with the progress.

“We’ve created a second floor over the long back hallway with the new atrium right smack in the middle, so you can see the mountain from the easterly multi-purpose room,” she said. “We have framing done for 11 bathrooms and the Black Box theater.”

Amanda Westbrooke, Open Space executive director, added that the multi-purpose rooms are for teachers or any individuals who may need a place to hold a meeting.

“We have a deep pride of saying ‘yes’ to anybody,” she said. “So if you have an incubator idea and need a place to do it, we will have the classrooms.”

Biondo said there are a lot of changes that no one will see but will add a lot of comfort, such as quiet heating, new lighting and a sound system in the second theater.

Islander David Bollen shares the title of project manager/owner’s representative with Biondo, who says Bollen has “all the technical and architectural skill to read the plans, know the language and the work around, while I work with the relationships.”

“No construction project goes as planned,” Westbrooke said. “David has been wonderful in deciphering the language and downloading everything to Karen so we can go to her and ask what does it mean.”

J.M. Riley from Bellevue is doing the construction based on plans by the Seattle architectural firm ARC.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for scheduled events. The theater festival 14/48 is on the calendar for October followed by the VIPP auction in November.

“All life-safety issues have to be done by October 9,” Biondo said. “That means the stairs, fire, all the overt construction has to be complete; that’s when J.M. Riley essentially turns the building over to us.”

Westbrooke added that once they resume occupancy, there will still be some “fluffing” and then “we’ll program the heck out of the new space.” But first, she said they will hold a donor preview and then a grand opening.

“We want to convey ‘Welcome Home, Welcome Back’ for the grand opening and have a variety of every homegrown beautiful talent on that stage that night,” Westbrooke said. “That’s what this is for; it’s a gift for them and the community.”