When residents look up at the top of the new Paramount Theater, they may notice a white steel beam covered in signatures, an American flag and a Christmas tree.
The beam marks the theater’s topping-out ceremony, a construction milestone that allows community members to sign the beam before it is lifted into place atop the ongoing renovation.
The tree, traditionally placed on the highest beam, dates back to ancient Scandinavian customs and symbolizes good luck, life and respect during construction, according to Burlington Mayor Beth Kennett.
The theater is a historic, city-owned performing arts venue built in 1928. In 2022, the Burlington City Council approved the Paramount Theater Expansion, which will add two floors plus a rooftop deck.
Construction began in August 2025, and the project is expected to be completed in July 2026.
The construction crew places the steel beam atop the Paramount Theater at the theater's Topping Out celebration on Feb. 5.
Kennett said it is exciting to see the community celebrate the expansion at the Topping Out Ceremony.
“It's exciting to be able to celebrate the people who are working on this project, who have worked up to this point and will continue to work on this project to make this a wonderful space for our community, and another gathering space that we will have downtown,” Kennett said.
The ceremony, held in a parking lot next to the renovation site, attracted over 40 attendees. Kennett said expanding the theater will strengthen the community.
“We can come together in the parking lot, and it's wonderful to see this many people out,” Kennett said. “My hope is that we continue to see this kind of excitement and joy in everything that we do going forward.”
Director of the Paramount Theater Eric Kerchner said the ceremony is a traditional event to host during construction, and said he was glad with the turnout despite the colder temperatures.
“We didn't know what the weather would be like today, and so it is really nice,” Kerchner said. “But that also shows that people have a lot invested in this.”
According to Kerchner, the renovation of the theater and the new event center will be an anchor for downtown Burlington.
“The idea is that we're going to be doing the kinds of events that are going to be bringing people, hopefully from outside Alamance County as well as inside Alamance County, to come to downtown Burlington to discover our retail and our restaurants,” Kerchner said.
The last performance hosted at the theater before renovations was Elon Music Theatre’s “95 Years of Stephen Sondheim.” Kerchner said he can't wait to reopen and have Elon come back.
“I've talked to numerous different departments about events that you do, the visual art department as well as performing arts departments,” Kerchner said. “We're looking forward to working with Elon and making them a part of what we do here.”