Delegates passed a bill meant to give West Virginia’s Culture Center long-delayed tender loving care.
Delegate Bill Ridenhour, R-Jefferson, participated in a tour this week of the Culture Center and it left an impression on him.
“That place is in serious condition. We’re lucky, frankly, that we haven’t had catastrophic issues in the facility,” Ridenour said. “It’s pretty bad. We need to really work on this.”
House Bill 5685 proposes a financial plan to fund major improvements, authorizing the Economic Development Authority to issue up to $150 million in revenue bonds to cover the costs of repairing, equipping and maintaining the facility.
The legislation establishes a dedicated Cultural Center Improvements Revenue Debt Service Fund.
Delegates passed the bill on a 88-5 vote. It now goes to the state Senate.
The Culture Center, about to turn a half century old, has seen better days.
“The summer of 1976, that’s when this building opened. Fifty years ago,” said House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood.
“You can see some of the problems that we are addressing, that we need to address in the building.”
The building is not adequately insulated and suffers from water intrusion in several areas, including roof leaks.
The existing mechanical system is at the end of its life. That includes the air handling units, heating water system, distribution pumps, distribution system and building control system. The electrical system is unreliable outdated and inadequate for the building’s usage needs.
The plumbing system needs a complete replacement. Now there are leaks, water damage and inoperable fixtures like water fountains.
“This is an important building for the state of West Virginia. This houses some of the most priceless collections in our state’s history, and we need to make it a priority,” House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said this week.
“We appreciate that commitment to preservation of our state’s history and our culture. This is a building that’s used by people of every stripe of society, from professional researchers, professional geologists, world class performers to young people at elementary schools who are coming here on field trips for the first time. This building needs to be a showcase.”