The Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater battle pits the past against the future.

Preservationists want Chautauqua to repair the 1893 icon, an open-air structure with a proud history of hosting storied speakers and performers – from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Duke Ellington. As much as Chautauquans would like to see the Amp preserved, rehabilitating the institution’s premier structure simply won’t work, which makes a lawsuit delaying construction particularly disappointing.

Chautauqua’s plan to demolish and rebuild the amphitheater hit a temporary roadblock this week, when the Hon. Frank A. Sedita III, State Supreme Court justice, issued a restraining order halting construction. Petitioners – the Committee to Preserve the Historic Chautauqua Amphitheater and a handful of institution property owners – seek the nullification of building permits acquired for construction from the town of Chautauqua.

Sedita, citing a need for further details, granted the petitioners’ request for the temporary restraining order. Attorneys from both sides will address him Monday with information on the State Environmental Quality Review Act, Waterfront Revitalization Plan and what constitutes “compliance” with these laws.

The institution hoped to begin work next week, and delays to the privately funded $41.5 million project could prove costly. A swift resolution will greatly benefit Chautauqua as it prepares to open the renewed structure in 2017.

The institution could not achieve its goals by preserving the Amp. The Historic Preservation Design Panel, convened at the behest of the National Park Service, suggested Chautauqua preserve the Amp and reduce programming, or build a venue elsewhere on the grounds while still preserving the amphitheater.

The quality of Chautauqua’s lectures and performances cannot suffer for the sake of a storied structure. A rebuilt amphitheater gives the venue an enlarged seating area, an expansive back-of-house facility, an orchestra pit, and a safer structure compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A vocal, but relatively small, group of opponents will continue its opposition of the project until demolition commences and perhaps into the future. While they celebrate the institution’s past and present with their passion for the historic building, perhaps they should focus on the future. Think of forthcoming speakers and performers who will grace the stage of the Amp for a new generation of Chautauquans. Celebrate what the amphitheater has done since 1893, but let it thrive in 2017 and beyond with desperately needed improvements.