CEDO

Physical Condition and Required Repairs

The City has wrestled with deferred maintenance and code requirements for the building for many years. Over the years, the City has invested funds in Memorial Auditorium to address these needs, but it has not been sufficient to keep pace with the continuing structural deterioration and functional obsolescence. In 1994, the City went to the Burlington voters requesting bond funding to maintain the building, but this ballot item did not get the required 2/3 vote to pass.  

Throughout the years, there have been a number of assessments done on the condition of Memorial Auditorium. The most recent of these, along with a concise summary and update as of October 2015, are presented below.

 

Memorial Auditorium Conditions, 2015:  In 2015, significant work was done to understand the structural condition of Memorial Auditorium and the urgency of further investigation and repair of certain elements. This concluded with Martha Keenan, CPM, Capital Improvement Program Manager at the Department of Public Works (DPW), submitting a  memo and giving a presentation to the City Council and the Mayor on October 13, 2015.  

This memo and presentation were to report the latest findings and recommendations from a structural engineering firm, Stantec, and also summarizes the costs to address the most urgent capital needs, prior to any upgrades needed to accommodate program changes and intensive uses within the building. This 2015 analysis by DPW was initiated as part of an update on the 10-Year Capital Plan as it relates to Memorial, as described in a  memo from Keenan to the City Council and the Mayor in September of 2015.

 

Facility Condition Assessment, EMG, 2014This report provides a broad overall assessment of then-current conditions of the building and all of its component systems. It organizes and prioritizes suggested repair/replacement work needed to address code requirements, improve operating conditions and energy efficiency of the building as-is, without any design changes to accommodate program changes within the building. It includes cost estimates for recommended immediate repairs (some of which have been completed) and a forecast of regular capital spending through 2030. It reiterates the structural concerns previously identified by Stantec.

 

Facilities Assessment Report, Stantec, Inc., 2009As noted above, in 2008 (report completed in 2009), Stantec, Inc. in coordination with Banwell Architects conducted a facilities assessment for Memorial Auditorium. It highlights structural concerns and documents interim completed repairs, summarizes the scopes of work and estimated costs thereof to be completed in order to continue to operate the building as-is, without any enhancements or changes to programs, at the time.

 

 

1996 Memorial Auditorium Historic Preservation ReportThe report highlights and prioritizes building repairs from a historic preservation perspective, including recommendations for conformance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

 

1994 Bond VoteOn March 1st, 1994, the City of Burlington voted on a ballot item to authorize the City Council to “issue general obligation bonds or notes in an amount not to exceed One Million and 00/100 ($1,000,000.00) Dollars to provide for capital improvements in accordance with the City’s 1994-1999 Capital Improvement Plan to various city buildings and facilities including, without limitation, renovations at City Hall, Memorial Auditorium and the Ethan Allen Fire House”. “Yes” received the majority of votes, but it did not get the required 2/3 vote to pass.

 

1991 Correspondence on Exterior DeteriorationIn 1991, Durbrow Associates, Inc. reviewed the exterior deterioration of Memorial Auditorium and suggested that a proposal be developed to provide plans and specifications for the repair work needed. The correspondences here detail the findings of this exploratory work and include a suggested priority list for rehabilitation of the Memorial Auditorium exterior.

 

 

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You can also email us at MemorialAuditorium@burlingtonvt.gov or call us at 802-865-7144.

 

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