Possible Boettcher Demolition Isn't Music To Symphony's Ears
DENVER (CBS4) - The chance that Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall could be demolished has sounded a sour note with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which has called the venue home for 35 years.
The city-run Denver Arts & Venues is at odds with the symphony, which says a possible plan to destroy the facility and build an outdoor arena -- something at the mercy of nearby busy Speer Boulevard traffic and inclement weather -- is a poor choice.
"We thought that wasn't a very innovative or creative way to improve the performing arts center," Colorado Symphony Orchestra CEO Jerry Kern said. "I was shocked by the fact that the symphony was never involved in the process."
The symphony is leaving the facility regardless because its lease is up. It might possibly play in an area church. The city said it has no concrete plans for the facility yet.
"We're taking this as an exciting opportunity to reimagine an important part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex," Brian Kitts, the spokesman for Denver Arts & Venues, said in a statement.
It's unlikely minor improvements to Boettcher, which seats 2,679, will happen.
Denver voters in 2007 passed a $60 million bond for improvement, but when the recession hit, the money was more widely dispersed to all of the city's arts venues.