Bernese say yes to the renovation of the municipal theater
The voters of the city of Bern have clearly approved the renovation of the Bern City Theater. Now the Grand Council still has to give the green light for the cantonal contribution of CHF 21 million. Then the renovation can begin as planned next year.
In contrast to the city's population, however, not all regional municipalities want to participate in the renovation of the building, which is over a hundred years old. The total credit of 45 million francs will therefore not be realized. According to a statement from the City of Bern, at least CHF 1.5 million will be missing.
According to the city, this means that some compromises will have to be made according to the project optimization. For example, there is room for maneuver when it comes to the windows (renovation instead of replacement) or the implementation of acoustic measures.
The aim is not to exceed the cost ceiling, which is made up of contributions from the canton and city of Bern as well as the regional municipalities. In addition to this amount, the voters of the Burgergemeinde Bern will decide on a loan of CHF 5 million in December. This money will be used in particular to extend the attic.
Renovations will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will last from the end of May 2014 to the end of August 2014, the second from the end of March 2015 to the end of September 2015. This means that alternative venues will have to be used in the second half of the season. These include the Great Hall of the Reitschule Bern and the Schlachthaus.
