Metro bungle may kill symphony season
You read it here first: There's no heat or air conditioning at the Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. But today KGW has the stunning follow-up: The whole system has to be replaced, it's on the roof, and the job is going to take many months.
For the Oregon Symphony, already battered because its blue-haired concertgoers are rightfully afraid to venture downtown any more, it sounds like this could be the last straw.
Oregon Symphony President Scott Showalter said so far, the HVAC failure has cost the symphony at least $30,000. Reasons include lost revenue from ticket refunds, paying musicians more to play in the heat and the costs of switching venues. He fears it could get much worse; after Monday, the Keller won't be available for the symphony's remaining concerts this season.
“If we're not able to perform for the rest of the season we'll lose well over a million dollars in revenue,” Showalter said, “Which then puts next season in jeopardy.”...
It's unclear what the symphony will do for next weekend's concerts before the temporary cooling system arrives. Showalter said there's a chance they may try using the Schnitz again and play with the doors open. They've also purchased bottled water for guests. They don't want to cancel any of the concerts but Showalter said they may have to, depending on the weather.
As for the "temporary cooling system" they're talking about, I doubt it will do the job. For one thing, it's probably going to be noisy as all get-out. Not suitable for a classical concert. But it's the best the suits at the landlord, Portland's ridiculous "Metro" layer of government, can come up with.
“Getting a new cooling tower on top of a building that old with engineering and permitting, you can imagine is something months and months down the road,” said Steve Faulstick, Metro’s general manager of visitor venues.
You have to wonder why someone didn't see the breakdown coming. The building was remodeled 40 years ago. Heat pumps don't last forever. Only the Metro bureaucracy does.
There's a nice new auditorium in Beaverton, and from all reports its air conditioning works. But it's got only 550 seats, compared to the Schnitz's roughly 2800. And so Beethoven can't really roll over to there.
What a mess. Your Metro property tax and Portland arts tax dollars hard at work.
It's like Cuba's old mob built casinos under Castro. A decaying window into a more affluent time.
ReplyDeleteEmbargo + older structures not built to last built for the purpose of decadent appearance, to fleece people gambling & for prostitution or hangout for mobsters?
DeleteIdk that that’s the Castro admin’s fault by mismanagement of what they *did* have per se?
As to these old buildings that look neat, but really need at best major re-works to actually function today, everybody’s a preservationist until they get the bid/estimate, right?
& it’s too easy / tempting to shove them off into the tax payer ‘someone else’s money’ for future upkeep, maintenance & preservation after the paramount biz model is no longer viable?
In true Metro fashion, there’s that extra layer or bureaucracy & a bunch of PERS state employee time servers & hacks involved presiding over this seeming random grab-bag…
Say what you will about the AZ cheapskate retiree state, they pay badly for state stuff & contract that stuff out competitively a bit better / try to keep costs in check?
Granted, if/ when the other shoe drops for the substantial federal subsidy for giant freeways & aging aqueducts in a drying climate late to the water rights party, nothing there is going to be remotely sustainable, either?
I really don’t know why anyones crying about Fagan only making $77k/yr with a bunch of benefits?
Paying retail at current rates or defacto having to waste 3 years In Law school as prerequisite or price of housing is maybe more the issue?
Metro once again demonstrates its unnecessary redundancy. They can't and don't deliver.
ReplyDeleteMetro is happy to collect the income its public venues generate, but it is not so eager to spend the money needed to properly maintain them. The air conditioning fiasco is a shame, as it was completely foreseeable. Mechanical systems don't last forever.
ReplyDeleteBack to Civic Auditorium?
ReplyDeleteI know people who played with the old Symphony at the Civic and they didn't like the move to the old Paramount Theatre building. They preferred the Civic, better parking, better sound, etc.
DeleteThe sound is definitely much better at the Civic.
DeleteThe news story says the Civic (aka Keller) is unavailable for the rest of the symphony season. Already rented out, I assume for touring Broadway shows.
DeleteUnfortunately, the stage at the Reser is way too small. They can only accommodate small ensembles there.
ReplyDeleteThere's the big empty fancy convention center. A little seating and acoustic adjustments and it may be fine.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense. Unfortunately, it’ll take several reviews by concerned bureaucrats. Kinda like the Columbia Crossing.
DeleteJust attended a lecture event at the “ballroom” at the convention center. The acoustics are simply awful! The lecturer sounded like he was in the bottom of a bucket!
DeleteI can’t imagine trying to have any musical event there!
I’m afraid the symphony is done and that is another nail in Portlandia’s coffin.
And what about all the jobs for the Symphony? Not just missions but support staff as well.
ReplyDeleteI meant musicians
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the Schnitz is actually owned by the City of Portland. Not giving Metro a pass, but they aren't solely to blame for the situation.
ReplyDeleteBut, who runs the operation?
DeleteMetro is solely responsible for the facility's operation. "Metro is an elected regional government that covers three counties and twenty-four cities in the Greater Portland region and operates the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts under the Amended Consolidation Agreement of Regional Convention, Trade, Spectator and Performing Arts Facilities Owned and Operated by the City of Portland and Metro. The Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission (“MERC”) oversees this Agreement and provides expertise, governance, and policy direction regarding the business of operating the venues."
DeleteSee: https://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Record/14771104/