Massey Theatre may face final curtain as it hits age 60 - Vancouver Sun

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EXCERPT:

Heritage expert Don Luxton thinks it would be “ludicrous” to tear down the theatre, given the replacement cost is estimated at $100 million.

“You will never get that back,” he stated.

“Right now, who has the money to build a theatre? Nobody. Vancouver has been trying to build a theatre this size for 20 years. The Coal Harbour [Arts Complex] was supposed to have 1,200 to 1,400 seats because it’s an ideal size for community organizations.”

Luxton also scoffed at the $18-million figure, and thinks the theatre could be upgraded for far less. He argued that engineers’ reports vary wildly according to their terms of reference.

“If you say, ‘Make this theatre into a state of the art blah blah blah, and make sure it’s high because we really want to tear it down,’ [it would be high]. Go to someone else and say, ‘Maybe we don’t have to replace the seats, and maybe it just needs a coat of paint,’ [it would be lower].”