Conceptual plan for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s new concert hall. Image courtesy of AECOM.
In Sunday’s (2/11) Columbus Dispatch, Peter Tonguette writes, “This week, the Columbus Symphony revealed one of the most ambitious undertakings in its 73-year history: a plan to relocate from its longtime home of the Ohio Theatre to a new concert hall to be constructed on a site near the Scioto River. The 205,000-square-foot proposed venue, to cost $275 million, is described by symphony leaders as the realization of decades of dreaming. ‘The symphony has been talking about this for 40 years, but we never were in a position to do anything,’ said symphony executive director Denise Rehg. ‘…It became apparent that this [is] a necessity.’… The acoustic requirements of the symphony have never been met by the Ohio Theatre, which was built in 1928 as a Loew’s movie palace…. The symphony must compete for booking with other local groups and national touring shows that also perform at the Ohio Theatre…. The plans—which call for the new concert hall to … open in 2028—have been greeted with excitement by … local arts leaders…. Symphony musicians also express great hopes about the new complex, which will be tailored to the symphony but is designed to include nine additional spaces that could be used by other groups or organizations.”
