Members of Rochester City Council are touring the Auditorium Theatre this afternoon - a fact-gathering mission requested by Council member Lovely Warren.

Warren has toured the building previously and says that she wants her colleagues to share her experience.

"When you're sitting in the stands, you really can't understand why you can't expand or why they're saying that it's an issue with the expansion," she says. "I just want all of us to have all of the information as we proceed."

A City Newspaper writer and photographer were initially told they could join the tour, but were then told to leave by RBTL board chair Arnie Rothschild. Rothschild told Warren he was worried about ticking off the mayor and other media.

For the two people on the planet who don't know the history: a new theater for the Rochester Broadway Theater League was one of three components of Renaissance Square. That project flopped, but RBTL has pushed ahead with plans to build a new theater, anyway. The Aud does not meet the requirements for modern-day Broadway shows, RBTL board chair Arnie Rothschild has said. Several places have come forward to woo RBTL, including Chili, Riga, Webster, Irondequoit, Victor, and Canandaigua.

Mayor Bob Duffy -- in a bid to keep RBTL downtown -- says that a preliminary study proves that RBTL is being disingenuous when it says that renovating the Aud would be too expensive. RBTL also cites other drawbacks, including a lack of air conditioning, too-small lobby, and inconvenient restrooms.

Despite several requests, City Newspaper has not been able to obtain the preliminary study.

Duffy has also offered to have the city pay for an architectural and engineering assessment of the Aud.

Warren says she is worried that a large expansion project would damage the Aud's historical and architectural value.

"If we can and it's possible, then I'm 100 percent behind the renovation of the Auditorium," Warren says. "If it's not and it's going to take away from the historical and the architectural value of the Auditorium, then I would like to look at other alternatives."

Warren says it's important to keep RBTL downtown.

"I think the shows bring much-needed revenue to the area," she says. "When ‘Jersey Boys' was here, the restaurants were all full. People came down and had a really nice time in the heart of Rochester. That's what we want."