Small Townie: Go to OjaiandVenturaRose.com to read this complete story. Will the City Do it Right ? © 2008, JAnderson/OVVtaRose.com:
On March 12, the Ojai City Council unanimously voted $70,000 to fund architect David Bury and Associates to perform a comprehensive study for rebuilding Libbey Bowl. A rebuild was pitched by Bury and, if successful, would result in Ojai's historic Libbey Bowl being completely torn down and subsequently rebuilt.
"It is going to be razed. It is going to be 100% new", said Bury. Bury also said the project would be completed by the 2010 Ojai Music Festival season.
The council has sidelined the normal process of soliciting independent bids for the rebuild and has instead hired architect David Bury for the study. Bury was also mayor of Ojai in the late 90s. Ojai City Attorney Monte Widders clarified "...you recognize that you are in fact setting aside what may be the normal selection process and designating David Bury and associates...".The city did emphasize the need for community input. "The people that live in this city... any kind of funding, or grants that you may go after, or private money... really depend on the local citizens buying into the project. I can't emphasize... even getting the public involved, the city will do its part...", said city council member Carol Smith. Steve Olsen noted the city council role in the Libbey Bowl development. "It's gonna be a good sales job, I think on your part, to explain what you've explained to us tonight," Olsen said. It is unclear the extent or scope of Bury's experience in organizing qualified sound consulting professionals and relevant contractors for an outside music venue. However, Bury is currently remodeling the theater at Ventura college. The significance of this Ojai Libbey Bowl project can't be underestimated, said the council. If a final building plan is ultimately approved by the city council, Bury said project costs to do a proper remodel could and should run upwards and past 3.5 million.
INTERVIEW: Fred Vogler is independent consultant, sound designer and lead mixer at the Hollywood Bowl. He resolved significant sound problems for the $383.5 million Disney Concert Hall completed in 2003. The indoor Disney hall is considered one off the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world. Vogler, was the sound engineer for the Ojai Music Festival under Pierre Boulez, 1996, and is familiar with the acoustic issues of Libbey Bowl. Vogler worked on the recent rebuild of the Hollywood Bowl, completed in 2004, which cost $18 million.
"I participated with the group of consultants for the new Hollywood Bowl sound system", said Vogler. "People refer to Ojai as kind of an upscale
artistic community so there's a really high
expectation level for Ojai to produce quality."
The Hollywood Bowl was upgraded for multiple reasons: the structure couldn't support modern concerts for large scale performances. They needed a structure that would support the lighting and amplification rigs for today's concerts, sound systems and for today's large scale touring performers. The Hollywood Bowl shell was made of asbestos, it was falling apart so there was no way to save it. I am familiar with the Ojai Bowl. I worked for the Ojai Festival about 10-years-ago when Pierre Boulez was conducting....
For More of the Story go to OjaiandVenturaRose.com
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Ojaiby ironmesa745 views
thanks Scrappy, would love some ideas on how the community can raise money!
Castlerockn 3 years ago
Go Mary and Joel!!
ScrappingSchnauzer 3 years ago