Berlin opera house to reopen in 2017, years behind schedule

 In this May 8, 2015 file picture people walk near the construction site of the Berliner Staatsoper ( Berlin State Opera) in Berlin Germany. The manager of Berlin’s Staatsoper says that the opera house is set to reopen - after repeated delays - in October 2017. Juergen Flimm said Tuesday March 29, 2016 that it’s 99 percent certain the 19th-century building on the German capital’s Unter den Linden boulevard will reopen after restoration on Oct. 3 next year, news agency dpa reported. AP/Rainer Jensen/dpa, file

BERLIN — The manager of the Berlin State Opera says its historic home should reopen late next year following years of delay-prone renovations.

Juergen Flimm said it's 99 percent certain that the 19th century building on the German capital's Unter den Linden boulevard will reopen on Oct. 3, 2017, four years later than originally planned.

The opera company, under musical director Daniel Barenboim, has relocated across town since renovations began in 2010. The works include raising the stage roof and ceiling to improve acoustics and transforming a storage depot into a rehearsal center.

Flimm, when asked Tuesday what would happen if the opera company's traditional home wasn't reopened by next year, told a Berlin press conference: "There is no plan B."

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