The group championing a performing arts centre is hoping to sway public opinion in their favour.
City council is being asked to support an application for a Northern Development Initiative Trust grant from the Prince George Regional Performing Arts Centre Society to fund an awareness and support campaign for the facility.
The nearly $12,000 project, of which the society is asking for a $3,400 grant, is supposed to "boost and demonstrate public support for the construction of a Performing Arts centre in downtown Prince George," said the application.
The society is working with Live Work Communications to create promotional material that will include a website and two explainer videos.
A performing arts centre is "not only for artists and arts entrepreneurs, but also families and tourists," the application said. "By demonstrating pubic support, we hope to influence city council's decision in early July to support the PAC."
City staff are expected to wrap up their own review this month, updating information on items such as the business plan and costs from reports the society handed over last fall.
A telephone opinion poll was also conducted in March that asked respondents about their live entertainment preferences, habits and budgets.
In November, council voted unanimously to support the performing arts centre project, naming it as one of the city's priority capital projects. However, no dollars were linked with that support and the PAC was placed on the city's five-year unfunded capital plan.
City council will also be asked to support two other NDIT grant applications tonight, from the Downtown Business Improvement Association and the Prince George Community Foundation.
The Community Foundation is hoping to boost its presence and corporate donations by undergoing a rebranding with the help of an $8,800 grant.
"If successful, the project will eventually allow the foundation to hire a new full-time fund development officer and to double the amount of grants available for those projects in the community which are not usually funded under traditional sources (ie. the government)," said the Community Foundation's application.
The DBIA's application is for a placemaking enhancement initiative consisting of an enhanced facade improvement program and welcome signage. The $250,000 grant application is to NDIT's economic diversification infrastructure fund.
