 Blackall developed a design which was estimated to cost $200,000 to build.Unfortunately the state legislature only authorized $100,000 which necessitated Blackall making some drastic changes in his design, which originally called for an auditorium that would cover , have a copper dome with a smaller glass oculus, and 2,500 seats, as well as a south wing which would be the home for the School of Music.Blackall reduced the overall size of the building, had the dome constructed out of sheet metal, and eliminated the backstage areas, although he arranged the design in such a way as to allow the future addition of a backstage.