By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

FUSION Superflex’s cash reserves are “nearly depleted” after being closed since March with the entertainment centre’s CEO telling The Tribune the facility needs to reopen soon before the business suffers “permanent” damage.

Carlos Foulkes said Fusion has a reopening plan and has written to the competent authority requesting to resume business, but has not heard anything.

“It has not been easy, that is certain,” Mr Foulkes said yesterday. “We are prepared for reopening. We would like to get our employees back to work. It’s been difficult.

“Cash reserves are nearly depleted and so we would need to get back into operation before the business suffers permanent damage.

“We have 400 staff members who are just sitting there with nothing to do and many of them call and email and come out to the property and ask questions and some of them have difficult times making ends meet. It’s not easy for staff members. We try to help where we can. My management team has assisted privately, as it’s only so far you can go without income.”

He added: “We have submitted a proposal to the competent authority. We have not heard any word back from them, but will reach out again this week.”

He said Fusion has come up with creative ideas and sanitisation protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Of course we have one of those advanced, HD/AC systems in the country,” he said. “We have UV lights already built into our systems so it’s clean air delivery and extraction in and out of the theatre space. We have sufficient outdoor space on the decks.

“We can minimise space between box office agents and customers by having them use online purchases of tickets and kiosk machines. We are ready to go. It’s just a matter of getting an indication as when we are allowed to go.”

Fusion Superflex has planned reduced use of the facility; separation of seats; empty rows between decks between groups of guests and not every seat will be sold.

“We have basically reduced the theatre down to 30 percent occupancy level,” he said. “So we will never sell a full theatre and we are willing to go with the additional social distancing that has been laid out by the law and by our own health consultants.

Mr Foulkes said as soon as the company is given the green light, it will purchase new stock and get back to business.

Fusion officials have repeatedly agitated to be able to reopen, after being closed for most of the year due to the pandemic.

In late September, Mr Foulkes told Tribune Business that Fusion Superplex would “have to make some serious decisions” on staff terminations and restructuring its finances if it were not permitted to open by early November.