Before city council is presented with a budget and timeline for building a performing arts centre in Prince George, city staff will attempt to measure its demand.
About 450 residents can expect a phone call from national market-research firm R.A. Malatest and Associates this week probing their views on live entertainment preferences, habits and amounts they're willing to pay to enjoy sports, theatre, concerts and more.
According to city spokesperson Michael Kellett, the city is paying approximately $20,000 to commission Malatest and Associates for this work.
"The results of the survey will be part of the administrative review report that is expected to be completed in June and reported at council," said Kellett. "So the intention is to make the report available to the public at that time."
The survey was part of the review outlined by city manager Beth James during this week's council meeting.
"This will help refine assumptions around the right sizing of the PAC as well as the business plan, in particular the revenue generating potential," she told council.
By the end of June, staff - led by Dan Adamson - will have parsed through the six consultants' reports submitted by the Prince George Regional Performing Arts Society last November and updated the information where necessary.
The capital cost estimates that the group has in hand are about four years old, said James, cautioning that they also didn't include all costs.
A 2012 report presented to the city estimated the cost of constructing a performing arts centre with an 800-seat theatre, a 250-seat small theatre, a multi-use rehearsal room and administrative offices at more than $26 million, with more than $15 million in additional costs.
"Refined estimates and actual costs can be significantly higher or lower than the estimates provided at this stage," James said.
But nailing down those costs will come after the group's current focus on understanding the current market situation, which James said includes an "assessment of the current potential opportunities for attracting touring performances as well as the potential growth for local producers renting space."
Consultation with the performing arts centre society, Theatre Northwest, the Prince George Playhouse, Prince George Symphony Orchestra, CN Centre and Vanier Hall have already occurred and staff will also be reaching out to production companies, promoters and theatres in other B.C. cities, such as Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Nanaimo.
And while James assured council members they would use all the expertise available to them, Coun. Dave Wilbur suggested that conducting the market demand study would be incomplete without letting people know exactly what is at stake in having a performing arts centre in the city.
"Because a study without making the thing come alive and appreciating what an impact it would make is going to come up short," he said. "I really think we need the champions out there to speak to it and I think we need to tell the story in such a way that folks who haven't really turned their mind to it can see what an opportunity there is."
