The Globe Theatre in Regina is facing an economic concern for the need of nearly $2 million dollars for building structural repairs.
On Jan. 24, 2024, Regina city council heard a funding request from Globe Theatre of $1.9 million for building construction costs.
“Globe (Theatre) is on the map and Regina is on the map in the arts world because of this little theatre that could,” said Jaime Boldt, Globe Theatre’s executive director.
“Over the course of the next number of years, many band aid renovations happened.”
Due to conditions of the Globe Theatre, they are looking at a 30-per cent shortfall and Boldt said they have explored every possible avenue such as cost-savings on the build, applying for large capital grants, securing capital loans, public giving campaigns and revisiting current donors and sponsors to request an increase in their contribution.
“The answer to this shortfall is not likely to come from one source,” she said. “There needs to be a combined effort to ensure that the Globe Theatre is able to open its doors in November in 2024.”
A local architecture business called P3A stated through the course of demolition, they encountered numerous significant issues with the building structure.
“Decades of renovations and building conversions conducted without adequate structural review churning the building from offices to retail to hair salons, to restaurants, and finally to a theatre resulted in major building structural and architectural elements that are in poor or even critical condition,” P3A Principal James Youck stated in a report to city council.
“This project has not been immune to the labour, supply chain, and inflationary pressures felt by every construction project in North America … we have seen pricing on change orders and additional work reflect the market condition, even where the hard-bid numbers do not. This has impacted the contingency financially, and the schedule due to labour challenges.”
Boldt said the City has committed to $6.6 million to the Globe Theatre project in 2019 and the added the City has given under $7 million at this point.
Council’s decision surrounding the Globe Theatre’s request is being held until further notice.
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