A special committee for the City of Charleston convened last week to review the final engineering and architectural report for Charleston’s Municipal Auditorium, which the City closed in February after finding significant life safety hazards during a routine inspection. WSAZ 3 News published a news story that included the full report. You can read the full article and the report at WSAZ 3’s website.
The key takeaway from the report is that the City has two options for the future of the historic theatre:
Option 1: $25.4 million to fully renovate the 52,000 SF Municipal Auditorium and add a $17,500 SF addition, or
Option 2: $25.2 million to demolish the building and construct a new 50,000 SF facility with modern amenities.
While the report indicates that preserving and renovating the Auditorium would still involve operational challenges, PAWV advocates for the consideration of the cultural and historical significance of the Art Deco building when making the decision on which path to choose moving forward. From the report, an architectural rendering for the renovate option is included below.
PAWV has been monitoring the progress of this situation since adding the Municipal Auditorium to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List last month. The City of Charleston constructed the Municipal Auditorium with support from the Public Works Administration in 1939. It was designed by Alphonso F. Wysong, a prominent local architect (who also served in the West Virginia House of Delegates), and C.P. Fortney, Charleston’s city engineer consulted on the project. This year marks the 25th anniversary of its individual designation on the National Register of Historic Places. It is noted in its National Register Nomination that its construction was controversial at the time with proponents supporting the construction of the facility to attract quality performers and opponents regarding it as an unnecessary and frivolous waste.
As one of our e-newsletter subscribers, PAWV wants to keep you up-to-date on the future of this significant historic building and appreciates your interest in preserving West Virginia’s unique cultural heritage.
If you are in favor of seeing the Municipal Auditorium preserved and renovated, send us an email at info@pawv.org.