Stage for RNC taking shape | News

Tampa, Florida -- The stage where Mitt Romney will accept his party's nomination is beginning to take shape.  Just one week after taking over the Tampa Bay Times Forum, crews have already roughed out the main stage for the Republican National Convention.

Once complete, the stage will be almost 60 feet wide by 40 feet deep. Crews have also begun building a 4-tier camera platform and creating working space for print reporters inside the Times Forum.

On Monday members of the media were allowed inside the 670,000 square-foot building to see the progress crews have made since taking over the venue.

Phil Alongi, the convention's executive director, says crews are also busy putting together a truss system, which will essentially hang from the ceiling.

"They will actually map out on the floor how the truss will be built before it is lifted up," Alongi told reporters on Monday.

"There are about 250 motors that will be part of the lighting truss and the motors actually lift the truss into place."

Officials say the truss will have about 200,000 pounds of equipment hanging from it once it is put in place including lights, cameras, cabling and sound equipment.

The GOP Convention is scheduled to begin on August 27.