Yates completion pushed back to mid-July
Asbestos removal extends renovation
The show will go on! But not at the refurbished Yates Centre, not until mid-July.
Its extensive renovation project is “on budget,” city officials say. But due to significant amounts of asbestos to remove, work is behind schedule.
New West Theatre and other Lethbridge groups who rent the facility have been notified, officials say, and the City will be working with them to find alternative spaces for their shows. When work began last fall, officials projected completion by late spring.
“Now our goal is July 15,” says Jason Freund, the City’s recreation services manager.
“That’s what we’re planning everything around.”
No other bookings are being accepted for dates before September, he adds.
The adjacent Sterndale Bennett Theatre, tied into the original building’s electrical and mechanical systems, will also remain closed until mid-July.
When work began, explains project manager Rob Villeneuve, contractors did not know how much asbestos had been used when the Yates was built in the 1960s.
“Now we’re assessing the magnitude of it,” particularly in spaces containing the Yates’ mechanical components — heating, ventilating, plumbing, electrical and the like.
“There are always surprises that are incurred” when renovating an older building, he points out.
The Yates improvements will include upgraded mechanical and electrical systems, a fire sprinkler system, modern performance audio/visual systems and acoustic treatments, as well as contemporary finishes including paint, flooring and ceilings.
The auditorium’s catwalk is also being relocated, dressing rooms are being modernized, and both the theatre seating and the building’s roof are being replaced.
And thanks to a $3.5-million grant from the federal government’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the renewed Yates is being made more accessible with elevators, barrier-free washrooms and improved signage.
The facility’s Ticket Centre will also remain closed until the project is complete. But its counterpart at the Enmax Centre will continue to handle ticket sales in person, online or by phone.
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