New $250K study to explore Worcester Auditorium cultural center
WBJ File
Worcester envisions the auditorium to be turned into housing, culture or office space while still maintaining its historic relevance.
The Architectural Heritage Foundation in Boston has reached an agreement with the City of Worcester to conduct a $250,000 feasibility study on whether the Worcester Auditorium can be converted into a cultural and commercial center.
City Manager Edward Augustus told the City Council about the arrangement on Tuesday night. The board of trustees still must approve the deal for the feasibility study to move forward, although that isn’t expected to be a problem, said Michael Traynor, the city’s chief development officer.
The one-year study will begin when the auditorium board approves the deal next week, Traynor said, and in the meantime, the city will not explore any other uses for the property.
The Architectural Heritage Foundation, which was founded in 1966 to explore saving Boston’s historic buildings and was granted stewardship of Boston’s Old City Hall, wants to see if the auditorium can be made into an arts and cultural center with complementary commercial uses, Traynor said.
The study will include reaching out to area colleges, universities and cultural institutions to see how a new facility could work in conjunction with them, Traynor said.
The city began conducting tours of the auditorium over the summer to drum up interest in redeveloping the property. While the feasibility study is ongoing, those tours will continue, as will the occasional event, Traynor said.
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