ENTERTAINMENT

Central Ohio entertainment venues scramble to prepare for reopenings

Allison Ward and Eric Lagatta The Columbus Dispatch
Female cheetah Bibi currenty residing at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, February 2020.

The governor’s announcement that museums, movie theaters and other entertainment venues were allowed to open starting next Wednesday produced a sigh of relief Thursday afternoon.

And it also sent the people scurrying to determine the most realistic date for their actual reopening, with many saying they won’t open until at least the following weekend.

Some, such as COSI Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art, currently have no date for when they’ll allow guests through their doors, which have been shuttered since mid-March.

COSI is taking particular precautions before opening to the public. President and CEO Frederic Bertley anticipates that by the end of June, he will be able to announce a reopening date.

Whatever safety protocols they put in place for guests — prevalence of hand sanitizer, more frequent cleaning, timed ticketing — will be in line with not only the governor’s orders, Bertley said, but also the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Likewise, the 160 playgrounds and 29 community centers operated by the Columbus Recreation & Parks Department won’t open for at least a little while as agency officials seek guidance from Columbus Public Health.

“The opportunity that we can inch closer to providing more services to residents is always good news,” said Sophia Fifner, community relations chief for the parks department. “Any next steps we take, we’re being very thoughtful, diligent and methodical.”

The first priority is to continue creating signs for the playgrounds and other park amenities that tell visitors what to expect and what is expected of them. The City of Columbus has already launched a “Masks=Kindness” campaign, and residents will also be expected to maintain 6 feet of distance when playgrounds reopen.

Gov. Mike DeWine’s orders included 15 different categories of businesses — skating rinks, zoos and trampoline parks to name a few more. (Amusement parks were not included, which has spurred a lawsuit.)

The order also said all opening venues must abide by similar guidelines as bars and restaurants.

A huge hurdle is limiting the number of people within their facilities, even for outdoor locations such as the zoo. One solution is timed ticketing.

As the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium opens next Friday to members only, visitors will be required to reserve a spot online ahead of time. The general public will be allowed to visit starting June 15.

The zoo has reduced maximum attendance by 20%, said zoo President and CEO Tom Stalf. Staff members will ramp up sanitation efforts and wear masks (patrons are encouraged to do so), and the zoo has closed some exhibits and removed some seating and other objects to allow guests to maintain social distance.

“We’re very comfortable with the way we’re opening,” he said. “It’s time to open and we definitely want to welcome back all of our friends to see the animals.”

The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will open June 13, also with timed ticketing, according to a release. The organization plans to announce times when it will open early for senior citizens and other vulnerable populations.

Chiller Ice Rinks plans a slow rollout of its six central Ohio locations, said assistant general manager Jeremy Rogers, both to ensure proper training of staff and to put in ice surfaces.

Because of the lengthy period the rinks were closed, Chiller decided it was best to remove eight of its 10 rinks because maintenance is costly. The two at its Easton location remained, and those actually opened Monday, but only to small groups for on-ice training (hockey, figure skating) as the governor allowed sports training to begin May 26.

“We’re not starting any public programs (open skate, birthday parties, leagues) until the week of June 15th,” Rogers said.

Rogers said they’ve been taking a nod from sanctioning organizations such as USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating on what protocol to implement, including 30 minutes between booking times and limited numbers on the ice.

Some business owners are unsure if customers will show up.

That’s a concern for Eric Brembeck, who with his wife owns Studio 35 and co-owns the Grandview Theater and Drafthouse. However, he said, they have meetings set up to determine the best way to open the movie theater portions of his businesses.

Since the locations’ bar areas have been open, he said, they have many protocols already in place. They’re just trying to figure out how they’ll do ticketing and seating.

And what movies to play: There are only two movies coming out before the beginning of July, he said.

He thinks they will offer “retro titles” starting next weekend, including the rescheduling of beer tastings themed to “Dirty Dancing” and “Major League” that were supposed to happen in the spring.

“It will be nice to have the screens up, that’s one thing,” Brembeck said. “But will we have packed shows? All we can do is make people as comfortable as possible, follow guidelines and keep people safe.”

award@dispatch.com

@AllisonAWard

elagatta@dispatch.com

@EricLagatta