More than two years after Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration selected a team of local architects to come up with a plan to stabilize and repair the long-shuttered Municipal Auditorium, work on the historic structure will finally begin.

At a ceremonial groundbreaking outside the auditorium on Tuesday, Cantrell said contractors next week will begin the first phase of a $43.5 million project that will include removing asbestos, replacing the roof, and repairing the exterior to prevent further water intrusion and mold damage to the 95-year-old building.

Most of the project will be paid for with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which were awarded to the city in 2018 after years of fighting with the agency over how much the federal government should pay to repair damag

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