Province earmarks $15M for Centennial Concert Hall roof, exterior

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This article was published 10/06/2019 (2676 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Safety concerns have trumped sound-quality issues when it comes to funding priorities at the Centennial Concert Hall.

On Monday, the province announced $15 million in emergency funding for repairs to the roof and Tyndall stone cladding on the exterior of the 51-year-old downtown Winnipeg building.

Issues became apparent this spring, when water from melting snow started leaking in through the ceiling above the three large chandeliers in the lobby, presenting more than just water damage concerns.

“The ceiling above us is sprayed with asbestos, so there was a real concern that any further leakage or dropping of the asbestos ceiling could be hazardous and could actually close the concert hall,” said Robert Olson, chief executive officer of the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation, the Crown corporation responsible for managing the provincially-owned concert hall.

Asbestos remediation won’t be necessary, according to Olson, if the ceiling remains untouched during the roof repairs. Work on the roof and the stone facade is expected to begin this summer.

What wasn’t included in Monday’s announcement was funding for replacement of the out-of-order acoustic shell used by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The shell, which helps direct music across the concert hall’s stage and out into the audience, has been locked in place for four years, after the mechanism used to raise and lower it was deemed unsafe to operate.

The shell was part of the building’s original construction and will cost an estimated $2.6 million to fix.

“We’re optimistic that we’ll be moving ahead on the acoustic shell replacement,” Olson said.

The province has assigned a project manager to assess the cost of the project and determine the best path forward, Crown Services Minister Colleen Mayer said Monday.

“The shell is a tool and it’s very important to the WSO, so it’s got to be the right fit and the right use for them and they’ll work with us to determine what that is,” she said.

In the meantime, a $179,000 electronic acoustic shell, paid for in part by the province, has been installed.

“It’s a Band-Aid right now to allow them to entertain the community as best they can,” Mayer said.

While Monday’s $15-million funding announcement doesn’t cover all the repairs and upgrades needed at the concert hall, MCCC board chairman Karl Loepp said it’s a step in the right direction.

“This is the most significant investment we’ve seen in decades, probably since the facility was built,” he said.

In it’s 2017 Conceptual Development Plan, the MCCC outlined changes needed to make the concert hall more accessible — including reconfiguring seating, upgrading elevators and creating a barrier-free, universal washroom.

Concert-goers have also voiced their concerns about the space.

“There’s been a generous amount of comments about repairs required throughout the facility, whether you want to talk about the carpeting — that’s always a favourite — or the seating in the auditorium,” Loepp said. “We’re aware of it and we’re working on plans to come up with the funds to try address these problems.”

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney