The Price of Preservation

Abravanel Hall and Salt Lake County Master Plan

Back before all the kerfuffle with Abravanel Hall started, Salt Lake County commissioned a master plan for the renovation and expansion of the building from local architects Sparano and Mooney (just a note, I am friends with the principals and think they are great designers). The process was extensive, with focus groups, interviews, engineer evaluations, preliminary ideas, and cost estimates. The plan was released just at the point that it could back up County Mayor Jenny Wilson’s claim that renovation of the hall would be an outrageous sum of over $200 million, so prolly it would be just great to tear it down for Ryan’s straight street and rebuild it. Someday.

Needed renovations

When you go out to find problems, you will surely find them. The planners identified plenty of issues: the lobby is crowded, the elevator is slow, the Symphony offices are old, the slope of the ground level hallways can be dangerous for wheelchairs, and the backstage is kind of a hot mess, as backstages usually are. In addition, the lighting and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) need a redo to a more efficient and balanced system. A knowledgeable historic preservation architect pegs these necessary costs at about $50 million.

Unnecessary and maybe damaging

But here is the kicker: the master plan cost estimates ALSO include nearly doubling the net square footage of the building. These additions would include orchestra rehearsal space, another addition to the lobby, a large “event” space and an added floor for the back stage. One of the most questionable design ideas is digging out the main floor of the hall, and putting in a new floor with a different slope, new seating, and new aisles. Which would change the spectacular acoustics, of course.

Misleading cost estimates

The cost estimates include all of the necessary items, but also many questionable items. The way it is presented, there is no way to separate costs or to prioritize, say, the HVAC changes. Plus, the costs are all lumped together, for example, the HVAC price includes air conditioning for existing spaces and for a bunch of new spaces we might not need.

We don’t know what it will cost

The upshot is, we don’t really know what the renovation of Abravanel Hall will cost, especially if we treat it like an historic building and find ways to preserve the character of it rather than vandalize it. At this point, Mayor Wilson and the County Council have nothing to really point to except a misleading and outdated set of ideas. For example, who needs an “event space” if we have an entire “Sports, Entertainment, Convention, and Culture” Center right next door.

It’s convenient to throw out these numbers, but the number could be anything. In the end we don’t know what is needed vs what might be nice vs what is simply horrifying.

It’s not about the price

The City-county Building, the State Capitol, the Tabernacle … we spend what we need to spend to preserve these buildings and the heritage and fine craftsmanship they represent. And here is a video of Utah Symphony violinist David Porter on why Abravanel Hall needs preservation, not demolition.