During the upcoming Council meeting scheduled for Monday, September 8th, the Port Theatre Society will make a presentation to Council requesting a motion be made to partner the City of Nanaimo with the Port Theatre Society for the construction of a Community Performing Arts Centre. This expansion of the Port Theatre will include a performance space with seating capacity for 220, rehearsal space and lobby.
The estimated cost for the Community Performing Arts Centre is $12.6 million. The Port Theatre Society is contributing $8 million through their fund raising initiatives and will be requesting that City Council commit $4.6 million to the project (dependent on the Port Theatre securing the remaining funds). The City will then apply for both the Federal government's Build Canada Fund and Sesquicentennial Grants, to be used as part of the City's funding commitment.
$2 Million Line of Credit Needed
An additional request will also seek Council's approval to proceed with plans to build the City-owned facility on the existing theatre site and that support be given for a $2 million line of credit in order to proceed with design and engineering completion.
This is exactly the kind of project that the city needs! The new hotel, an arts centre, and more will help revitalize the city centre and breathe some life and culture into the downtown core. Nanaimo really needs to start heavily investing into its infrastructure and aesthetics. Give the people somewhere to be proud to call home, and visitors an area they will want to visit and settle down in. Nanaimo needs to be more than just a link between the island and Vancouver city. These projects and more are how you accomplish this goal.
ReplyDeleteOh grand... another buck, nay oil drum, of money to be thrown onto the "arts" community provided they get it. How about we stop spending on all these community groups and stuff until we have every piece of infrastructure we need like roads, sidewalks, signs, Earthquake standards met, etc first? How about we only spend money on our "needs" and not our "wants" until our "needs" are fully and completely met?
ReplyDeleteOh, and my taxes have gone up every single year. I haven't gotten any new services and the streets are in serious need of repair in many areas.
Sincerely,
Devon Kruggel
Reg,
ReplyDeleteDo you pay taxes in the city? or are you smiling because you expect the rest of us to pay for all these city masterpieces you talk of?
Reg, I notice your profile says you life in Halifax. Nanaimo currently pays the highest municipal residential taxes in BC. The Port Theatre although beloved by all, is already subsidized to the tune of $500,000/yr.
ReplyDeleteThey say a boat is nothing but a hole in the water that you keep throwing money into. The Port Theatre is very close to the harbour already. NOW you think we should make that hole even bigger?
Frankly core services like Police & Fire should come FIRST. The police need a bigger detachment, the fire department needs a new fire station. I think YOU need to look at the priorities.