Following a “small fire” at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center Saturday, the venue will be closed for months, the city announced Monday afternoon.
The center reopened last month after seven years of a difficult renovation process.
“We are deeply saddened by this event and are working diligently to understand the source of the fire and the full extent of the damage,” the city said in a Facebook post. “Your support during this time is invaluable.”
The building was unoccupied at the time of the incident, and no one was hurt. Due to the damage, “the center will remain closed in the coming months as we assess repairs and wait for the arrival of products necessary to complete restoration,” the city added.
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The city noted that some of the specialized materials have a “long delivery timeline.”
The News-Journal has reached out to the city for more details.
‘Gut-wrenching’
Lucy Jackman, board chair of the Friends of the Performing Arts Center, called the news “gut-wrenching.”
“Especially after so many people were involved in this, so much work to get it open,” she said.
Jackman was heavily involved in the center’s renovation process, which took about seven years and cost the city $2 million.
She said she hasn’t had a chance to go over and see the damage for herself. She was informed of the fire on Sunday morning, when city officials, including the fire department and inspectors, were at the center assessing the situation.
The Performing Arts Center reopened last month to a weekend of events from Feb. 16-18, with concerts and a tour to welcome back the community to the venue.
Jackman said she doesn’t know for certain how long the closure will last, but “all of the events which went into May have been canceled,” and producers are working on reimbursing those who had bought tickets.
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“You want to allow the producers to take their events to another venue, you want to give them that opportunity.
“It’s devastating,” she added. “I just have to say, it’s devastating.”