Photo | Brad Kane
Kathleen Gagne, executive director of Mechanics Hall
July 2, 2020
No danger Mechanics Hall closes permanently, executive director says
Photo | File
Mechanics Hall
During an interview on the WBJ Podcast, the executive director of Mechanics Hall in Worcester says the historic venue will reopen at some point, despite closing on June 19 and saying it might not be able to afford to reopen until 2021.
"Not on my watch," Executive Director Kathleen Gagne said on the podcast. "There's no danger in my mind Mechanics Hall will not reopen."
The venue does have a number of atypical expenses due to its age, as the 163-year-old building needs constant maintenance and occasionally has to make costly, unscheduled repairs, like $20,000 to fix the roof following storm damage in the spring.
Since Gov. Charlie Baker forced the closure of non-essential businesses on March 24 in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Mechanics Hall has been losing about $100,000 per month in revenue, Gagne said. The venue has furloughed almost its entire staff, with the exception of Gagne and two staff who have been reduced to part-time hours.
"We've been through a pandemic before. I don't know how many other venues can say that," Gagne said, referring to the 1918 influenza pandemic.
To listen to the full interview, including Gagne's estimate on when the venue will reopen and what has to happen in order to the reopen to occur, listen to the entire podcast episode, "When will Mechanics Hall reopen?" here.
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