ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Municipal Auditorium, at 200 Civic Center Drive, is shown on Feb. 5, 2024. It was closed that month, after an assessment that got underway in January found “critical electrical and structural issues that require immediate attention,†Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin has said.
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Municipal Auditorium, at 200 Civic Center Drive, is shown on Feb. 5, 2024. It was closed that month, after an assessment that got underway in January found “critical electrical and structural issues that require immediate attention,†Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin has said.
Gazette-Mail file photo
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s 85-year-old, art deco-style Municipal Auditorium has been temporarily closed to address “life and safety concerns†raised by electrical and structural issues, Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin announced Monday.
The closure order follows preliminary results of a structural, mechanical and electrical engineering assessment authorized by the city late last year. That assessment got underway in January.
“Given the age of the building, we anticipated we’d find issues,†Goodwin said in a news release. “We were notified of critical electrical and structural issues that require immediate attention due to life and safety concerns.
“Based on the assessments provided by the professional engineers and the utility company, we were instructed to shut down the Municipal Auditorium, resulting in the cancellation of events at the venue this week.â€
Events scheduled at the Municipal Auditorium this week included:
Wednesday: A seminar by Canadian psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan B. Peterson.
Friday: A performance by country music artist Warren Zeiders.
“The safety of the public and our employees, in all our public buildings, is always our top priority,†Goodwin said. “We are actively trying to identify any possible solutions that will allow us to ensure the safety of those entering and working in the building.â€
Goodwin said the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center is working with promoters to accommodate events scheduled to take place at the venues.
“Any notifications regarding changes to currently scheduled events will be communicated directly to ticketholders,†she said.
The Municipal Auditorium, with seating for 3,400, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Last month, in her State of the City address, Goodwin cited issues related to the venue’s advanced age and called for building an all-new municipal auditorium, creating a venue “that best fits our market so we can secure a greater return.â€
Last year, the Municipal Auditorium generated nearly $2 million in revenue, after pulling in $400,000 in 2022.
