The 50 year old Centennial Concert Hall is home to ballet, music, and drama. And like all aging homes, it requires maintenance, and there’s millions of dollars-worth still outstanding.
"The seating inside the concert hall as we look around right now is in need of replacement," said Manitoba Centennial Centre Corp. CEO Robert Olson. "These are the original seats from 50 years ago."
The seats have been reupholstered over the years. But aging carpeting is being held down by tape in some places. And there are other, less visible problems in need of attention.
"There's an issue with accessibility that we want to address inside the concert hall that wasn't a consideration 50 years ago," said Olson.
On Wednesday, a big item on the to-do list officially received funding. The province will invest five million dollars to upgrade the centre’s aging fire system.
"Any homeowner will understand, if we leave these things unresolved, over time they will cost more to keep up," said Manitoba Finance Minister Cameron Friesen.
Many of the upgrades to the fire alarm system won't be visible to the public. But officials say they're needed, and will replace a 25 year old system that required frequent servicing.
Like any big production...It won't be complete overnight. Work is expected to take two years.
A complete renovation of all deferred maintenance will take longer, but it will happen, according to Olson.
"The architectural features of this facility are so unique and so outstanding, and so well respected, we have no plans to tear it down and rebuild. So we have to look at repurposing, refreshing the facility as we move along."
That way it can continue to be a facility where guests aren't focused on old carpets, but instead on amazing performances.
