EDITORIAL – What’s going on with plans for the performing arts centre?

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IF KAMLOOPS WANTS a new performing arts centre, its proponents had better straighten out their public information campaign. Currently, it’s pretty much non-existent.

The Centre for the Performing Arts Society, which is supposed to be promoting the project, is virtually silent. Its website hasn’t updated what’s going on with the PAC in a couple of years. Neither has its Facebook page. The website still provides the old estimated cost of $70 million, which is at least $50 million out of date.

Yet the society’s stated mission is “to participate in the promotion, creation, development and construction of the Centre for the Arts.”

With the citizens’ group missing in action, it’s apparently up to the City to keep us informed of progress towards a referendum and detailed costs and plans. But even though the PAC is supposed to be the Number One project for the City’s self-vaunted Build Kamloops Committee, the City is nowhere to be seen either.

The last time we heard anything of substance about it from City Hall, there was a big price tag but not much substance. That was back in February, when City council approved $7 million — to be borrowed from unallocated capital reserves — for detailed design.

The rationale for spending such a huge amount of money before the project has been approved by taxpayers was confusing, which was in keeping with the general state of the public’s mindset on it — confused. There’s still bewilderment over why such money must be spent for details of the project now rather than finding out first whether voters like the concept.

But now, it appears, City Hall is quietly forging ahead, giving notice on BC Bid that it will put out a request for proposals soon for a general contractor, with an expectation the contract will be awarded in August. Then, an RFP for designers will open in August, to possibly be awarded in November.

An architect, Station One Architects, has been chosen. The BC Bid post is described as “early background information.” All of this comes not from City Hall but courtesy of alert reporting by Castanet. A lot of people are starting to think it’s all a done deal, without regard for public opinion.

Meanwhile, despite several requests from the public at council meetings, there’s no indication of plans for a referendum, which will surely be necessary to obtain necessary funding. Earlier estimates of a maximum for local taxpayer contributions were for $45 million. What will the number be now?

And what of the parking question, which is apparently “under consideration” by City bureaucrats?

A proper communications strategy is nowhere to be seen. A new PAC is a worthy project that is  worthy, at least in principle, of public support. It’s time the City and its partner, the Centre for the Performing Arts Society, let the public in on what’s going on.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.