Funding needed for the new Municipal Theater of Constitución is approved

The Municipal Theater of Constitución now has the necessary resources for its construction after the Regional Council decided to approve a little over $452,000,000 pesos required to finance the execution of this signature project, putting an end to the long waiting period that even included a few failed public tenders.

The Municipal Theater of Constitución project started as part of the Sustainable Reconstruction Plan (PRES) driven by ARAUCO, the Government (through the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism), the local municipality and the community’s enthusiastic participation, to raise a better and safer city after the earthquake and tsunami that struck on February 27, 2010.

This is a long-awaited project for the community and was prioritized by citizens in a PRES survey. The new theater will be built on the same site -Arturo Prat plaza- where the old one used to be until the early morning of February 27, when it was severely damaged.

The project’s full investment, including public funding, is $4,656,221,000 pesos.

Regional council member and president of the Tourism Commission, Pablo del Río, made the announcements. “We are happy with such great news for Constitución. It has been a ten year wait for one of the commune’s signature projects. We have a tradition in theaters and the funds that were approved will finally allow this work to materialize, which will be the second largest theater in the Maule Region”, he said.

The theater, designed by architecture firm Elemental, considers a three-story building with a main nucleus that will contain the auditorium, which is a sloped single level with a seating capacity for 469 people. An “L” shaped triple-height foyer will surround it on both sides. The project includes control boxes, restrooms, a cafeteria, and administration offices.

The new Municipal Theater of Constitución, in addition to other PRES projects such as the Cultural Center and Library –located in front of the Plaza de Armas, next to Arturo Prat plaza–l, will create an interesting and attractive hub for the development of culture and tourism in the heart of the city.

Nelson Bustos, ARAUCO’s Public Affairs assistant manager also expressed his satisfaction at the allocation of funds for the theater’s construction, indicating that “we are very happy with this good news for all of Constitución. This is an emblematic project, and we are sure that, like other PRES projects, it will contribute to the commune’s development and to improve the quality of life of all its residents.”

The Ángel Bartolomé company will oversee the theater’s construction work, which is expected to begin before the end of the year.