The re-opening of Thalia Mara Hall has been delayed to the end of January.
Start at 22:30.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba broke the news at a press conference Friday. The auditorium was supposed to reopen Saturday but the city announced last week the opening would be delayed a few days.
Hizzoner said "unforeseen circumstances will delay the opening a short period of time." Third-party engineer Emad Al-Turk said the improvements were "substantially" complete. Testing found "remnants" of mold and other "environmental needs that need to be corrected."
A contractor pulled up a section of carpet last week and discovered asbestos. The engineer explained if asbestos is left undisturbed, it can be ignored. However, the removal of the carpet exposed the asbestos, thus requiring removal. Samples were delivered to the lab Friday morning but the city did not have the test results.
Mr. Al-Turk said the auditorium would probably re-open next week if tests were negative. However, he said they expected a positive result. A positive test would require another week for asbestos removal. The engineer said Thalia Mara should reopen by the end of the month.
Mayor Lumumba said any building more than 40 years old would likely have asbestos.
A busted pipe should be replaced this week.
A reporter asked if the elevators will be working when the auditorium opens. Mr. Al-Turk said the elevators had not been repairs. He said the elevators and escalators "are part of Phase II." A new fire curtain will be replaced in April or May. A second chiller will be installed in "May or.June." Funding is required for other improvements.
17 comments:
It won't open until all of the necessary palms have been greased. Right?
"Funding is required for other improvements"
Any way to find out how much was raised from years of ticket sales by promotors for the Thalia Mara Restoration Fee or whatever it was called.
OBC all over again.
A little more than $1 million.
a retired engineering executive with over 43 years' experience, Emad currently focuses on philanthropy in advancing issues related to poverty, humanitarian relief, education, sustainability, peace, security and economic development. Emad focuses on marginalized communities and communities of color with special emphasis on the African American community in the USA and Palestine". Mr Al Turk must be out of retirement, good grief.
Hizzoner said "unforeseen circumstances will delay the opening a short period of time."
Then how did literally all of us forsee this happening?
it might open at the end of January 2026
Elevators are part of Phase 2? I guess ticket sales to those of us with wheelchair bound family members are going to wait for Phase 2 as well.
He and several of the contractors working on the emergency water line repairs were laid off this past Friday. Says the city spent 18 million dollars to fix the ONE water line leak at I-55 and Northside Dr.
In comparison, and realizing the value of money over the years needs to be considered, the entire I-55 rebuild project from Meadowbrook Rd. to Canton Mart Rd. In 1988-1990 was a 31 million dollar project.
January 2026
So the carpet is 40 years old?
Not an unforseen circumstance:
Complicated repairs and remediation to a poorly maintained and neglected older building with malfunctioning HVAC systems causing early stage microbial growth cost more and take longer than planned.
Actual unforseen circumstance:
The rest of the world finds out some of the details of the Mayor of Jackson alleged travels in kushy style to an out of state cigar bar to smoke cigars and whatnot with a few associates thanks to a federal criminal indictment of the mayor!
The details include that allegedly the Mayor of Jackson was smoking cigars at a cabaret called Tootsie’s in Miami. Not just any nude cabaret but Tootsie's is the largest strip club in the world featuring over 300 sexy full nude entertainers daily.
Note: The fact that the Mayor of Jackson was criminally indicted by the federales while still in office may not be an unforseen circumstance.
Criminal Pardonee Bennie Thompson is smiling this morning. He got his while Lumumba holds the bag.
I am shocked that this delay occurred in this mayors term of office'!!!!!
This has to be incorrect because not only is the mayor working on this, but his sister is also working on it!!!!!!!
Can anyone confirm the maximum height above the stage ? If it's 50 feet or more then the fire curtain probably is required by firecode.
Even if the fire curtain isn't required by firecode the city might want to run the idea of operating without the fire curtain (already removed according to the Mayor's latest update) while waiting to procure and install the replacement.
It will never reopen
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