Ambitious plan for Gaillard

The Gaillard Auditorium has served Charleston well for 40-plus years as an all-purpose performance and exhibition center. But its age is showing, and it badly needs a major overhaul. Mayor Joe Riley should be given every encouragement in his plan to raise the final $51 million of the $71 million in private donations needed to turn the auditorium into what he says will be a "world-class performance hall."

Already the city has received a single donation of $20 million, contingent on the city coming up with the rest.

The mayor's plan, detailed in his column on our Commentary page, also calls for the exhibition space to be improved, and city offices to be built up against the exterior walls of the Gaillard, effectively creating part of the building's new facade. The necessary $71 million in public money for that part of the project would be funded by revenue from an existing special tax district, accommodations and hotel taxes, and money saved in rent from relocating city offices there.

The mayor insists that the $142 million project, the most expensive ever undertaken by the city, wouldn't require a tax hike. That's welcome news, indeed.

The project, which will be presented to City Council mid-month, can be accomplished at a substantially lower cost because of the ongoing recession. The city expects more firms will bid at lower figures for the project, given the effects of the downturn on the construction industry. Mayor Riley says the project should be expedited to achieve the maximum savings.

Nevertheless, City Council should take the time it needs to give the project and its financing plan a thorough review, and to gauge public sentiment for the proposal. Council's scrutiny at the outset might help forestall the sort of cost overruns that have plagued some city projects, such as the aquarium.

The city should be encouraged by the fact that a spokesman for the Ansonborough Neighborhood Association has given a preliminary endorsement for the plan. A previous proposal to incorporate a basketball arena for the College of Charleston into a renovated Gaillard ran into stiff opposition from Ansonborough because of the anticipated increase in traffic through the residential neighborhood.

The latest proposal for the Gaillard, however, would actually reduce the capacity of the auditorium from 2,730 to 1,800. The smaller size is considered optimal for the city's use, which includes Spoleto Festival USA. The auditorium would get a complete renovation, including a badly needed acoustical overhaul.

The mayor pledges that the project won't be undertaken without the full private fundraising component. Collecting $51 million in donations will be a daunting task, but it is necessary since the current economic situation isn't conducive to a general tax increase for this project.

Charleston would not be what it is today without the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium. A grand renovation of the performance hall and exhibit space will help the city maintain its sterling cultural standing among the nation's cities.

Doing so without new taxes would be another great achievement.