Marin veterans auditorium repairs require another $5M

Mar. 22—Marin County's public works department is recommending that county supervisors allocate another $5.1 million in next year's budget to repair and upgrade the 2,000-seat Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium.

The request to supervisors was made Tuesday during a three-day workshop on the upcoming 2024-25 fiscal year budget and was included in a larger overview of the infrastructure needs of county facilities.

"Many of the 44 county-owned buildings are 30 to 60 years old and rely on general funds (for maintenance)," David Spear, the county's facilities planning chief, told supervisors.

Spear estimated that the county will need to invest between $144 million and $209 million in its facilities over the next 10 years. Of that amount, $60 million to $84 million will be required for Civic Center facilities and $84 million to $125 million for a new fire headquarters and station upgrades.

Spear said the additional money required for the Veterans' Memorial Auditorium would be in addition to those sums.

On the third day of the budget workshop, Supervisor Dennis Rodoni said, "Our challenges around workforce housing, climate change, child care, and county infrastructure will probably require us to consider a bond in 2026 or 2028 to meet some of these needs."

Summing up tasks to complete before presenting the new budget in June, Josh Swedberg, the county's budget director, said, "We'll work with the board president to establish a board subcommittee to discuss bond financing for facilities."

Christopher Blunk, the county's assistant director of public works, said Tuesday that seismic upgrades of the auditorium costing $6.85 million are 95% complete. Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard mitigation grants are covering $5.14 million of that amount. The auditorium's parking lot is simultaneously being reconstructed at a cost of $11.5 million; grants are covering $1.5 million of that work.

While the seismic work was being done, a host of other structural defects requiring attention were found. In January, it was discovered that the surface beneath the auditorium's foundation and around the building had subsided significantly, causing concrete floor slabs to crack and settle.

The settlement also resulted in sagging and separation in the network of drainage and sewage lines below the building. This prevented water from draining away from the building and caused damage to the orchestra pit lift and electrical and mechanical systems.

Blunk said it will cost an additional $5.9 million to make the necessary health and safety repairs. Public works, however, is recommending that the county spend an additional $9.2 million to make more substantial improvements in the auditorium.

Since the county has already set aside $10 million for auditorium improvements, "That leads us to our request for an additional $5.1 million," Blunk said.

The health and safety components would include: the auditorium's heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system; the orchestra pit lift mechanism, sewer lines, roof drains, floors and fixtures in lobby restrooms, fresh paint in public spaces, and a facility master plan for future front of house improvements.

In an email to arts organizations and other producers who use the auditorium regularly, Gabriella Calicchio, director of the county's department of cultural services, wrote, "If funded, everything but the VMA building master plan is anticipated to be complete by 2025-year end."

That, however, isn't what arts organizations that rely on the auditorium were hoping to hear.

"The news in this latest communication that affects us was timeline related," said Tod Brody, executive director of the Marin Symphony. "We had originally been told that the earliest that the hall would be available for use would be October of 2025. Now this communication says that they have a goal of end-of-year 2025. That's bad news for us."

Nancy Rehkopf, executive director of Marin Ballet, had the same concern.

"We're one of several community organizations that have an annual holiday show in December," Rehkopf said. "It's a very big month for audiences."

Both Brody and Rehkopf said that for planning purposes they need to know with certainty by May whether the auditorium will or won't be open before 2026. If it isn't, then they must book other facilities.

"We had been told that we'd find out in May," Brody said, "but this email indicates that the Board of Supervisors isn't even going to vote on this until June."

In her email, Calicchio also wrote, "When the VMA reopens, it will remain open until the funding is in place for the next 'phase' of construction which would presumably include a new seating design, sound wall and backstage crossover among other items to be identified during the master planning process."

And among her next steps, Calicchio included: "determine whether a bond measure can go on the ballot or if funds will need to be raised through private philanthropy."

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