Altar-ed states: A music hall is in the making at New Vision United Church
Upon this church will I build my rock ... and my jazz, soul, classical and country ....
So saith the lore, the lore among Hamilton musicians. But it will take almost $4 million for the New Vision (formerly Centenary) United Church's old sanctuary to be converted into a concert hall - altar-ed states, indeed.
The $3.9-million cost sticker is the recently updated estimate on a project that's been bandied about in this city since at least 2015, when New Vision hosted several JunoFest music acts and wowed with its sound and ambience. In 2015 it might have been dreaming but now a concert facility at New Vision is much more than lore.
Turning a big part of the church into a thousand-seat live music venue - the acoustics are legendary - is an official goal of New Vision, 24 Main West, between MacNab and James. It was a clear recommendation of the Hamilton Music Strategy committee. Some preliminary renovations have already started.
Still, raising the $3.9 million is no pushover, and that figure is almost twice what was estimated the cost would be in 2020, when New Vision's capital campaign began, with a virtual benefit concert.
It's hardly surprising that the cost has doubled. A pandemic got sandwiched in somehow between those two dates. Subsequently, probably consequently, there have been notorious supply chain issues, inflation (the price of steel has doubled, wood quadrupled) and labour shortages.
There's also the issue of financing.
When we started as a capital campaign (in 2020), it was back when the pandemic was starting and didn't include part of the financing that will be needed," says Ian Sloan, minister of New Vision United Church.
They didn't know it when the campaign first started but New Vision, because of its status as a charity, could not be the venue operator (they could only lease space to another entity) and could not rely on certain financing or a new sound and lighting system to come from the eventual outside venue operator. So those costs weren't included in the estimate. They are now.
Besides, it is an old building and when you drill down (into the unfolding determination of what needs to be done and the prospective outlay) there are increases in cost."
The fundraising estimate that the church used in 2020 was also based on a less stringent model than the one used for the latest estimate of $3.9 million, arrived at through a pre-construction determination conducted by the firm XGC Consulting, based in Kitchener.
Sloan says the immediate agenda now is to be as clear as possible (about the costs and work involved and about what New Vision can and can't do as a church) so that the community steps in to form an entity (that can operate the venue).
I think we're going to have a consultation (with musicians and the larger community) and hopefully out of that will an emerge an entity to carry us forward and that that can be worked out by late fall."
The concert hall would be run by a board or some such entity that would operate independently of the church.
If that can all be in place before Christmas, he says, construction can start on the first phase by next summer.
Tara Myers, coexecutive (with Kim McCarthy) of XGC, says that major HVAC and electrical service work is required to make a concert hall out of New Vision's old sanctuary, which they now call the auditorium (worship services have been held in the lower hall for years).
These - HVAC and electrics - account for the lion's share of the increase, she says. The higher costs are the result not only of inflation; they also reflect a clearer picture of the extent of what will be needed to put 1,000 music goers into that space comfortably.
Myers says much is made of the cost of lumber, which by some estimates has quadrupled. But that's not a big factor with the New Vision project, she adds, as it's not a new build. The price of steel, though, has doubled, she adds, and that is a big factor, not just because of the steel needed for reinforcement on the project but all the steel that is used in HVAC and electrical parts, which drives up the price of those accordingly.
It comes down to sheet metal, wiring and electrical components in general, and labour costs, which is a trickle down from the trades," says Myers
She adds that it is a busy time for her firm because the rapidly rising costs and shortages of material (not only wood and steel but petroleum-based products like adhesives and paint) and labour have made preconstruction estimates vital in making go-no-go decisions.
The support for the project among Hamilton musicians and promoters seems overwhelming. Kerry Doole, the publicist for the concert hall conversion, has compiled testimonials from many, including such notables as Tom Wilson, Max Kerman of Arkells, Melissa McClelland of Whitehorse, Jeff Martin, LTtheMonk and Steve Strongman.
Says blues guitarist Strongman: I was immediately struck by the charm and feel of this unique space, and decided to film and record two live performances that turned out incredibly well. The Music Hall is unique in its acoustic properties, fantastic sight lines, and central location. The fact that this space is in a historic building further strengthens the importance in its community."
The space has been compared to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Toronto's Massey Hall.
Many point out the need for a mid-sized music venue in Hamilton.
The renovations will be done in two phases.
The first phase includes: improved flooring on main floor and upper lobby; upgraded stage; performer amenity space improvements; railing extension on the mezzanine level; sound and lighting trusses; motors and framing inner lobby on ground floor; gender neutral washroom suite; and event space on the ground floor.
The second phase incorporates: electrical service upgrade; HVAC including air conditioning in auditorium; and a production/accessible service elevator.
Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator.jmahoney@thespec.com