In May 1993, the Civic Foundation contracted with vanDijk, Pace, Westlake & Partners, a major Cleveland architectural firm with an extensive background in renovation and adaptive reuse of historical buildings. The $28,300 contract, which would be paid out of the grants received from the George Gund Foundation and The Cleveland Foundation, included two components: 1) basic improvements, which were those necessary to bring the property into compliance with regulatory requirements and to increase operating, maintenance, and efficiency; and 2) improvements to the Great Hall, Ensemble Theatre, and the Assembly to meet a wide range of performance and assembly needs, as identified in the Kirkham study of potential users. 11 The study was to begin June 1, 1993 and take approximately two months. Paul Westlake, a partner in the firm, was named by the vanDijk firm to coordinate the project.

On September 8, 1993, vanDijk presented a draft of their report to the Civic Foundation Board of Trustees. The plan called for a nine-step phase-in of the improvements over 24 to 60 months. The stages involved, first, stabilizing the building and stopping further decay, then, second, correcting infrastructure problems and addressing Americans with Disabilities Act violations. The third stage called for improving the building's image and access. Steps four and five involved reconfiguring the Great Hall as a ballroom and banquet facility/music hall and refurbishing its lobby, as well as upgrading the lighting and sound systems; and upgrading of the Assembly, Gallery, and Center halls. Stages six through eight dealt with the tenant spaces, the building office, and site improvements. The final step was improvements to the Ensemble Theatre space.

The total price for all nine steps was $10.8 million if the improvements were completed in 24 months. The 60-month price was $12.7million.11 As ambitious a fund raising program as the Foundation might have envisioned, it never contemplated that $10 million could be raised. The plan, however, laid out in each phase those items critical to the overall stability of the building. By pulling out components from each phase and setting priorities, the staff and the Board of the Civic were able to put together a series of smaller steps that could be bid out as funds became available.