Van Wezel engineering report: Good as is for now, not for later

Even as city residents await the decision of whether to proceed with the design concept of the Sarasota Performing Arts Center, the committee seated to recommend how to repurpose the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall continues its work as if it is a foregone conclusion.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, the Purple Ribbon Committee received a second update from Karins Engineering as David Karins responded to questions submitted to him since his initial update on Jan. 13. This time, though, Karins had with him in person and representatives of various consultants participating in the study from acoustics to seating to architecture.

The scope of Karins' work is a physical assessment of the facility and the costs to keep it functional as its current use. No suggestions nor costs associated with converting it into an alternative purpose is included within that scope, although the process still remains a point of confusion among some committee members.

“If certain elements are not covered in this study, it's because they were not part of the defined scope,” Karins said. “All of us on this team are really happy to be involved in those processes moving forward. We’d love to be involved and take the next step of doing schematic designs and developing a design that can fit within a budget that the city sets forth.”

All in due time. 

The committee has until July to submit its recommendations of how to put the Van Wezel into its second use, since 1970 serving as the primary performing arts venue in the city. That is assuming the City Commission approves the implementation agreement with the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation to build its replacement, at which time the Van Wezel would be regarded as obsolete in its current form. 

In January, Karins told the committee the cost to shore up some internal systems, affect repairs, preserve and protect the Van Wezel is approximately $17 million. That, in the wake of the $10 million in flood damage from Hurricane Milton, includes water intrusion mitigation such a hardened seawall or portable flood wall system. 

Photo by Andrew Warfield

In its present configuration, Karins and the consultants told the committee, the Van Wezel is best suited for “truck and bus” shows and not major Broadway productions that require considerably greater logistics such as load-in, load-out and longer term on-site storage of props, sets, etc. Acoustically, it is not well-suited for non-amplified performances.

The continental-style seating — no aisles breaking up long rows of seats — is also a detriment, according to the consultants.

“Continental seating was very much in vogue when the Van Wezel was designed. It is not something that we would do these days,” said Joe Mobilia of theater consultant Fisher Dachs Associates. “In the report, we touched on how the continental seating could be modified to have a more conventional arrangement with intermediate aisles that would take care of the disadvantages of continental seating.”

That, though, would result in fewer seats to attract the then more popular “bus and truck” shows unless a balcony could be added either by "raking" the seating bowl or literally raising the roof, either method coming at considerably more cost and a long-term closure. The three loading bays are also inadequate for high-profile shows, according to the consultants.

What the committee heard, without being told directly, is barring significant structural changes and associated costs, the Van Wezel as designed is outdated for contemporary uses. Repurposing, and how, is up to the members themselves outside of Karins' purview.

“I think what we're having is kind of this mixed conversation about the building making it long enough so that we have a different building for a performing arts center, and then this one where we would try to change the seating and add another 800 seats to it and five more bays so we could have Broadway shows,” said committee member Robert Bunting. “I'm getting confused with the conversation.”

Chairman Charles Cosler said it was clear to him that until a new performing arts center comes online, the Van Wezel must remain viable as is with some modifications to enhance acoustics and prevent future flooding. Beyond that, any major renovation such as adding seats is off the table.

“It was only meant to be a neutral assessment of the seating. It wasn't meant to say it should happen," said Mobilia. "We tried to point out the difficulties in doing that. It's up to you what to do with that information. It wasn't meant to be a recommendation, but rather than just an assessment.”

Entering the final stages of its two years of work, Purple Ribbon Committee members are turning toward crafting their thoughts individually in writing before drawing their consensus on the second life of the Van Wezel.

That is, unless the City Commission decides otherwise on March 17.