Wallonia and Verviers have decided to look into the different ways to co-finance the complete renovation of the Verviers theatre, the Verviers Culture councilor Aurélia Luypaerts announced on Monday. She made the announcement after a meeting with the Walloon Heritage minister Maxime Prévot. He thinks the theatre is of cultural importance, and needs to be preserved. The work would cost an estimated 25 million euros. Wallonia and Verviers, represented by Mayor Marc Elsen and the Culture minister, will meet again in September to analyse the results of the steps taken so far, with the backing of financial partners.
This collaboration comes after Verviers was not granted FEDER funds. It tried to obtain the European financing to renovate the edifice. On the 23rd of June, the College had to stop people going into the theatre after a moulding fell from the foyer, from dozens of metres high.
An expert said the plaster’s state of disrepair could have caused the incident. A second expert was called in last week, and they are expected to give their verdict on the 10th of July.
(Source: Belga)
