Monona Terrace reopened its doors for public visitation Sunday to reveal some new features after being closed for most of January.

In an email to The Badger Herald, Executive Director Gregg McManners said Monona Terrace created a list of possible improvements for the building beginning in 2004, when the last renovation of the venue was completed. He said the facility went through a more extensive refurbishment rather than a renovation during this most recent period of reconstruction.

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said there were two major changes made to Monona Terrace which were necessary to maintain the building’s distinguished image.

“Essentially, the new features that were taken into consideration were carpeting and bathroom updates to make sure Monona Terrace remains a top high-end venue,” Resnick said. “These types of investments are necessary over time to keep the quality of the establishment.”

According to McManners, 15,000 square yards of carpeting was replaced. He said the carpeting removed from the building was 100 percent recycled.

The changes to Monona Terrace will also make the facility more sustainable, McManners said.

“We updated the restrooms both cosmetically and from a sustainability practice. The energy savings equipment installed should save about 300,000 gallons of water annually,” McManners said.

He added the Terrace replaced or updated 750 light fixtures, which is expected to result in a 4 percent savings in energy usage.

According to Resnick, these new bathrooms “look awesome” and will help to give Monona Terrace the facelift it needed.

McManners said the artwork in the building has also been refurbished. He said the art exhibits now feature pieces capturing the “essence of Madison,” including photography from several locations in the city as well as history about Frank Lloyd Wright’s inspirations and contributions to the building.

The cost of these improvements, including updates to the kitchen space and culinary equipment, was $2.5 million, McManners said. Terrace Officials had to go through several rings of city government to get their plan approved, as Monona Terrace is a city agency, he said.

Resnick said this investment was worth the time and money, because the advancements made as a result of this refurbishment will serve Monona Terrace for many years to come.

“Monona Terrace competes nationally, regionally and locally, and it is imperative that the building and the city continue to invest to make Madison a great destination,” McManners said. “We had hosted somewhere between 5-7,000,000 people since the last renovation. The time was right to address some changes and we feel we are now prepared to compete for the next 10 years.”