Written by Mark Nielsen
Citizen staff
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Monday, 29 June 2009 |
City council threw its support Monday behind further fleshing out a proposal to bring a new performing arts centre to Prince George and investigating the possibility of bringing a performing arts centre to Prince George as a private-public partnership.
Partnerships B.C., a provincial Crown corporation that assesses the viability of such projects for PPPs, said the PAC is worth considering for such an arrangement but must still go through the process of evaluating the estimates and assumptions behind the project.
The next step is to form a planning study task force to finalize a site location, develop a detailed business plan and design concept and illustration, members of the PAC society told council during a presentation, and the move was later endorsed with Coun. Debora Munoz and Coun. Don Bassermann appointed to a planning study task force.
Coun. Cameron Stolz raised the possibility of taking both the PAC and the new RCMP building to referendums at the same time but was told more planning must be done for the arts centre.
According to a feasibility study presented to council in November, the PAC could cost as much as $51.3 million, if it was to include both an 800-seat and a 250-seat theatre, but the final concept is still up in the air.
“Part of the space requirements may vary depending on the partnerships that we may be able to develop,” PAC society chair Sharon Cochran said. “For example, we may not need the number of offices that are required.”
But PAC society treasurer Jo Graber said the final concept is still up in the air but also suggested a two-theatre complex is essential.
“You have to make sure you have an operation that works seven days a week, as many days as possible,” he said. “When you have a single facility that is 650 seats, 750 seats, like Nanaimo has with their Port Theatre, that doesn’t work very well these days and that’s why Nanaimo is trying to get a second theatre built and associated with it.
Coun. Brian Skakun warned that the city is “extremely financially challenged and that if we don’t get any senior government support, I can’t see this project going anywhere.”
The hope is to complete the next steps in the process by September or October, council was told.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 June 2009 )
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For $50 million the city could go it alone on building Boundary Road, and all the associated utility development. There are no running costs associated and in the end the city has something to sell, plus increasing employment and the potential worth of the tax base in the city.
I vote no to another high brow building. If we have money to spend on pavement and construction, then we could use more practical investments than building a place to clown and preen.