SANDPOINT — A project to improve the women’s bathrooms at the Panida Theater took a step forward last week when the board voted to accept a bid from Idagon Construction for the project.

The board approved spending up to $200,000 to complete the renovation and expansion of the women’s bathroom at the Panida Theater.

The project will take the theater’s southern retail space and use it to expand the bathrooms, adding four stalls — doubling the number of stalls in the facility to eight.

In approving a bid from Idagon Construction for $160,000 — one of two received for the project — board trustees said they supported accepting the company’s proposal. A second bid, ranging from $169,000 to $176,000, was received from BluBird Renovations.

Board President Sean Behm, who works for Idagon, abstained from both the discussion and the vote.

The board has also received an offer from a local tile company to purchase a higher quality of tile at cost. The matter will be taken up by the board’s executive committee.

“We’re kind of trying to work through the style process and other stuff,” board member Woody Sherwood said.

With both bids fairly close, trustees said the Idagon bid was a superior one for the theater, both because of the company’s knowledge of local historic buildings and its local presence.

Board members said the expansion should alleviate some of the congestion in the lobby caused by the long lines leading into the bathroom.

Due to the project’s location, Sherwood said Panida officials are looking at taking advantage of the work by adding cameras in the main lobby and ticket area, as well as cameras facing the stage, to augment existing security measures and allow those using the green room to see what’s happening onstage and keep track of when they need to head to the stage.

Because the approach to the bathroom is nearby, Sherwood said it makes sense to add the cameras at the same time, saving time and expense instead of having to come back at a later date.

“That way, if we’re having trouble, we could see what that event is,” Sherwood said. “We don’t have that ability now.”

Sherwood said he is excited by the potential for increased security as well as the ability to create a nicer experience by improving the bathrooms. Without the extreme congestion in the lobby before and after an event, as well as during intermission, the board member said safety in the lobby will be significantly improved.

“We have the funding set aside with entertainment funds, so we’re within our financial capacity to do this, and it really moves the organization forward,” Sherwood said.

Longtime interior designer Nikki Luttmann said she liked the idea that the Panida board was selecting a local company, noting she has worked with Idagon on several projects. Over the dozens of projects she has worked on with the company, she said they will approach the board with potential change orders and offer multiple suggestions on how to move forward, helping keep the project within cost.

Luttmann told the board that if they need help with design work, to let her know, offering to help them at no cost.

“I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve offered my services for free,” she said. “If you guys need it, I’m happy to help.”

Panida officials are in the midst of a review of all needs at the historic theater in an effort to prioritize an extensive list of work needed to take the Panida into its next 100 years.

“As you’ve heard many times, there are many needs in the theater, and we have to prioritize where those needs are,” board Vice Chair Charlotte Solly said.

Taking priority are projects addressing safety concerns, Solly said in response to a question about how the board was going to juggle the multiple audiences that the Panida attracts: presenters, audience members, and donors and lovers of the theater.

“Safety is always our first priority,” Solly said. “We’re going to look at all our needs in the theater, and we’re going to look at safety. So if something is going to be a danger for any of our patrons, that would rank higher than something that’s more of a cosmetic one.”

While partly an effort to address customer comfort by improving the southern women’s bathroom, the matter is also a safety issue due to the extreme congestion in the lobby, Solly said.

“You’ve seen the lobby — when everybody is in there, it is jam-packed,” Solly said. “It’s an egress issue. People cannot move in that space … that’s why it’s ranked up there. However, I’m not saying we’re putting that above other safety issues. If the roof fell in today, the bathroom would be put on hold.”

The project is just one of many facing the Panida. Among others are improvements to the stage, which could include anything from minor repairs to pulling out the existing stage and redoing it completely.

“What is our highest priority at the moment?” Solly said. “They’re all important; we’re weighing them all, and there’s a lot on the list.”