Centre In the Square reveals revamped seating area

Bright red seats stand neatly in a row as Centre In the Square in Kitchener unveils a revamped seating area on Sept. 27, 2024. (Johnny Mazza/CTV News)

A popular performing arts theatre in Kitchener is showing off a new look they hope will offer more comfort to patrons.

The Centre In the Square unveiled a newly refurbished seating area on Friday, including an expanded accessible row.

Crews began tearing out the old seating in July to make room for wider, more cushioned options.

"On average, we're going to see at least an inch extra width in each seat. We've got a little bit of a higher seatback as we go. So it'll be considerably more comfortable,” Bill Zeilstra, the director of production for Centre In The Square, told CTV News when the work first began.

The newly installed accessibility row will offer a better experience for some fans who had literally been pushed off to the sides previously. Prior to the renovations, clients with accessibility needs could only sit on the sides of the stage. The new area will face the stage and quadruple the amount of accessible seating.

“Row K is now a completely accessible row with removable seats so that people with mobility issues or mobility devices can easily sit anywhere in that row for a world-class view of the performance,” Dan Carli, Centre In the Square’s board chair, said on Friday. “We’ve flattened that part of the theatre floor so there are no issues for people with mobility issues.”

Zeilstra said the accessible seating area will be fully modular, giving staff the option to adjust the seating to a customer’s needs.

The changes mean there will be fewer overall seats in the venue.

“We’ve lost about 50 seats,” Carli explained. “We’re still at 1,950 as our capacity and we did that by increasing the accessibility seating.”

Funding for the project came from a federal government infrastructure grant, the province, the City of Kitchener and Centre In the Square.

With reporting from Colton Wiens