Unfinished Usher Hall opens for four events – at cost of £600k
UP to £600,000 is to be spent on reopening the Usher Hall – for just four events.
The Capital’s premier concert venue is undergoing a major refurbishment, but a series of delays means it is unlikely to be completed until next summer.
However, council chiefs have agreed to temporarily open up the hall for a two-day Rotarians conference in April next year and three orchestra performances in May, two from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and one from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Around £150,000 will need to be spent making the Usher Hall safe for these events, while the associated construction delays are expected to cost around £450,000.
The move is being justified because of the amount of revenue the events will bring to the city, with the Rotarians alone generating an estimated £2.2 million. The nearby EICC has a capacity of 1200 but is fully booked the weekend of the Rotarians conference.
But opposition politicians have still hit out at the cost of re-opening the venue temporarily.
Labour group culture spokesman Paul Godzik said: “To be thinking about spending this sort of money on reopening the Usher Hall for a couple of days when you have school teachers buying supplies for their pupils and the council’s finances in disarray just seems absolutely bonkers.”
“That money could definitely be put to be better use elsewhere in the city. I recognise that these are significant events. However, we have to be entirely sure this is justified.”
The move has won the support of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau, which brokered the deal to bring the Rotarians event to Edinburgh. Sue Stuart, chief executive of Edinburgh Convention Bureau, which conducted the negotiations to bring the Rotarians to Edinburgh, said: “This is a major event worth an estimated £2.2 million to the economy and involving high profile business delegates.
“It’s important, particularly at this time of economic difficulty, that we maintain our reputation as a world class conference destination and send out a strong message that Edinburgh is prepared to go out of its way to accommodate them.”
She added: “The added value of this decision is that these delegates will also be able to spread the message that not only is Scotland’s capital city open for business but it is prepared to go the extra mile to provide hospitality.”
The cost of the Usher Hall revamp is currently priced at £20m, but it is known that these costs have risen and an updated price tag is expected in the New Year.
Final approval for the six-figure outlay on re-opening the Usher Hall is expected to come in February as part of the council’s budgeting process.
However, council officials today said they were proceeding on the basis that the event will take place.
Delays on the Usher Hall have forced both the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to disrupt their seasons by temporarily moving to smaller venues around the city, such as the Queen’s Hall.
Both orchestras picked up a total of £400,000 in compensation from the council as a result of the delays.
A council spokesman said: “Councillors will consider and finalise the council’s full budget over the coming weeks but in the meantime, given the time scales involved in preparing the venue, we will proceed on the basis that the RSNO, the SCO and the Rotarians will have access to the Usher Hall in the Spring.”
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
Category: Concert News
About the Author (Author Profile)
Adam Parry is the editor for Event Industry News. If you would like to get in touch and learn more about Event Industry News email editor@eventindustrynews.co.uk.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
.jpg)
