A vote will be held this afternoon to determine the course of action regarding the historic Chautauqua Amphitheater. A battle has brewed between the Institution's Board of Directors and a group of preservationists over the future of the 120-year-old structure. The Board has been promoting what they call rehabilitation but what others see as demolition. The Committee to Preserve the Chautauqua Amphitheater's Chairman, Brian Berg, claims the case has not been made for such a drastic move.
"There has not been an economic justification. There isn't a due diligence. There isn't a programming mission or a vision that spells out why they need a new amphitheater."
A recent report from a structural engineer indicates that the amphitheater is sound, despite a board falling from the ceiling and striking a patron earlier this month.
Today's vote will be held in secret.