By James Peters

New $70 million performing arts centre proposed for downtown Kamloops

Jan 8, 2019 | 2:29 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops council has heard details of a new performing arts centre proposal for downtown, and has vowed to include it in future planning procedures.

The vision was presented Tuesday (Jan. 8) by local philanthropist Ron Fawcett, who funded a planning process for the facility.

“I’ve got five kids, they all live in Kamloops. I’ve got 14 grandchildren. All but one live in Kamloops. They need this in their community,” noted Fawcett after his presentation to city council. “They need this centre. This community needs this.”

The revived performing arts centre would be built on the same plot of land on Seymour Street that was designated under an initial proposal that was turned down in a 2015 referendum.

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WATCH: Rendering of the new proposed Performing Arts Centre (Video Credit: CHP Architects)

The new, 103,000 square-foot proposal includes a 1,200-seat theatre meant for Kamloops Symphony performances and other large, theatre-style shows.

It also includes a smaller, 450-seat theatre meant for most Western Canada Theatre productions, as well as a 75- to 100-seat black box theatre. All three theatres would empty into a common lobby and would be sound-isolated so that all three could be in use at the same time.

“We’ve been looking for a new venue,” said Artistic Director of Western Canada Theatre. “Where the city facilities are reaching the end of their useful life, so there’s a real need for our operations to move to a new venue.”

While a parkade was a significant portion of the initial proposal, the only parking included in the new proposal would be about 70 spaces underground, meant to accomodate few more than staff The total price tag for the new centre is estimated at just over $70 million — lower than the $91 million estimated for the proposal rejected in 2015.

Fawcett has already taken a step toward making the proposal a reality by purchasing an annex building formerly owned by Telus in the 300-block of St. Paul Street.

He says that building would serve as administrative headquarters for WCT and the Kamloops Symphony, and he and his wife Rae would cover the cost of retrofitting it for that purpose. Fawcett estimates that contribution as between $8 million and $10 million.

When asked about a business plan, Fawcett noted one has not been proposed as there would be significant public funding involved, and it is up to governments to decide how funding would be secured.

“I’m a big taxpayer in this town, but I don’t have the ability to figure that out,” he said. “That has to be the city. We’ve given a vision, we’re happy to have done that. They’ve got the big job to do, which is figuring out whether it’s the right thing to do.”

Council voted to accept the proposal for information, and will include the idea of a performing arts centre in the Kamloops council strategic plan. If council includes it in the strategic plan and moves ahead, it would eventually go to a referendum or counter petition.