The public is getting its first look at Cincinnati's newly renovated Music Hall. Officials gathered Friday for a ribbon-cutting event to kick off the grand re-opening events slated for this weekend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWgPKZ3CI98&feature=youtu.be
Concerts will be held Friday night and Saturday, along with a a free community open-house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Harry Fath, a trustee for the Cincinnati Opera, said the facility was crying out for change. “This place didn’t need a band-aid, this place needed a major, major renovation,” said Fath.
Joe Rudemiller, Senior Communications Manager at 3CDC, said the past few years have been a whirlwind.
“From securing the necessary funding, to finalizing the design plans, to completing a renovation of this magnitude with a sixteen month construction timeline,” Rudemiller said. “The level of collaboration required to come so far, so fast, has been truly remarkable.”
While all of the character defining features have remained, you will notice a more intimate setting and better sound, as reported in this WVXU story.
The project expanded the Hall’s 225,000-square-foot structure by 31,000 square feet. The additional space did not change the building's footprint. It cost $143 million, with $70 to $80 million coming from private contributors.
The historic site was originally built in 1878. This is the first major renovation in nearly 50 years.