Canton of St. Gallen promotes theater renovation
The government of the Canton of St. Gallen is committed to the renewal of the St. Gallen Theater. It is urgent and necessary in order to preserve the unique offering in the cantonal capital for the future.
If the proposal is rejected, the canton writes that, among other things, technical systems are likely to fail. In addition, urgent construction and renovation measures would have to be carried out on an ongoing basis. Partial renovations over several years would be considerably more expensive than a complete renovation and would have a significant impact on theater operations. Energy, safety and labor regulations could not be implemented on time. There is a risk of being severely restricted by official requirements, up to and including the withdrawal of the operating license.
The total costs for the renovation and conversion of the St.Gallen Theater amount to CHF 48.6 million. Of this, CHF 38.9 million will be spent on value-preserving measures and CHF 9.7 million on value-enhancing measures. If the loan is approved, the renovation work can begin in summer 2020. The work will take two years. The budgeted amount also includes the costs of CHF 4.5 million for a temporary solution. The theater will operate in the temporary facility for two seasons.
