Monday, June 7, 2010

Gaillard Center plans take shape

Posted by Erica Jackson on Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 4:26 PM

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In case you missed it, last week News Editor Greg Hambrick reported on Mayor Joe Riley's announcement about planned renovations ($142 million worth) to the Gaillard Auditorium. Changes include an "extreme makeover" of the facade, changing the space from fan-shaped to U-shaped (cutting some 900 seats), and adding municipal offices to the hall.

"Half of the cost will come from private donations, with the city paying for the rest out of tax money set aside for capital improvements, local hospitality tax collections, federal aid, and borrowing. The mayor says the project will not require a tax increase," he reported.

Work is expected to begin in 2012 and take two years — hopefully just in time for Spoleto 2014. Many people seem torn between excitement for the much-needed improvements and concern that it's not the best use of the funds. What do you think?

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Topics: Spoleto

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Seems well conceived and designed to produce more revenue and provide more opportunities for events. Better acoustics can only help. And more usable event space is great. Let's hope this gets executed on a timely basis!

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Posted by lorene1 on June 7, 2010 at 4:42 PM

Unlike the city folk of James Island, those of us who live in the Town Of James Island get a property tax rebate every year so far.
Instead of a rebate, the city folk get improvements to a downtown facility they probably won't ever use.

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Posted by FCB on June 7, 2010 at 5:13 PM

Desperately needed! DESPERATELY.
The city needs a proper opera house that LOOKs like an opera house both inside and outside. Now it looks like a government building and the actual theatre like a high school auditorium or function hall.

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Posted by jmm874 on June 8, 2010 at 3:47 AM

That's great! But in the meantime the Charleston Symphony Orchestra that occupies the hall a lot more of the year then Spoleto does, has currently suspended operations. Who will be performing in the newly renovated concert hall when the 3 week Spoleto festival is not happening?

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Posted by musiclover1 on June 8, 2010 at 7:47 AM

tough call. the current acoustics suck and it's not an attractive building inside or out. i agree with jmm874 about the city needing a performance space that doesn't look like a high school auditorium. but at the same time, the most important question is who is going to use the space?? we have no orchestra! i think we need to get the symphony back on its feet before we start thinking about gaillard renovations. otherwise it's a pretty building with no purpose and, thereby, a complete waste of money.

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Posted by JFrank on June 8, 2010 at 9:52 AM

How about we spend half as much on renovations and spend the rest on helping the Charleston Symphony Orchestra survive and flourish, so that the Gaillard will actually have events to host?

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Posted by KeepYourselfWarm on June 8, 2010 at 12:17 PM

It's cheaper to build a new building than to modify Gaillard. The State Ports Authority was taking suggestions about revamping the Cruise Terminal Area. The Kennedy Center is on the Potomac, like the cruise terminal is on the Cooper. At The Kennedy center , there are also a couple of restaurants. It is extremely convenient. Charleston could renovate the foot of Market Street with a new Symphony/Opera House/Cruise Terminal/Indoor Mall complex that generates income to pay for the diggs when the Symphony is not playing. It could also provide reasonable public restrooms for the market area and relief from the heat.

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Posted by PostHaste on June 8, 2010 at 7:28 PM
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