The Congress Hall is planned to be turned into Kronvalds Concert Hall, honoring the writer and publicist Atis Kronvalds, Agnese Kvedere, Rīga Houses (Rīgas nami) representative, told LETA. Rīgas nami plans to execute the redevelopment of the Congress Hall. It is intended to expand the number of seats of the Great Hall, to improve the technological equipment, stage, and acoustics of the Hall, and to renovate the lobby and other shared spaces.
Rīga City Council came out with a statement later the same day claiming that the project is still ongoing and it has not yet been definitively decided. Renovation would be still taking place but in the form of an acoustic concert hall. The decision is expected by the end of December.
The total costs of renovating the building project if taken on by Rīgas nami, are estimated at €14.5 million. The majority of the financing is expected to come from the Treasury in the form of a loan. The redevelopment would be carried out by summer 2023 by the construction company “UPB”.
“The Hall no longer fulfils the functions it was supposed to perform when it was built in 1982,” said Māra Liepiņa, head of the Congress Hall. The Hall has not been renovated since it was built.