The Redding City Council agreed Monday to bring back short-term funding and closure options for the Redding Civic Auditorium at its Feb. 3 meeting after staff and the council’s ad hoc committee said they still have not found a viable long-term gap-funding partner or alternative business model.
During the Jan. 20 meeting, the committee said it had been meeting with supporters and civic management to look for gap funding, but had not found a solution. One council member said the group also had not found a different operating model that would make stakeholders confident the money would be well spent.
Staff told the council that ongoing operation of the facility would require roughly $1.4 million to $1.6 million a year, while mothballing the auditorium would carry about $70,000 in one-time costs and about $1.24 million a year in ongoing costs and lost revenue, according to the meeting summary. The staff presentation also said Advance Redding had asked for about $116,000 per month to keep operating.
Council members did not appear to settle the long-term question Monday. Instead, they directed staff to return Feb. 3 with short-term funding and closure options, setting up the next decision point on whether the city continues subsidizing the facility, begins winding it down or tries a temporary bridge approach.