Artists renderings of 2020 (top) and 2015 (bottom) PAC proposals

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: Are the 2015 and 2020 PAC plans really ‘totally different’?

Nov 9, 2019 | 6:54 AM

‘THIS ONE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.’

You’ve probably heard that line more than once from proponents of the new performing arts centre proposal, and you’ll most certainly hear it again, many times.

Those who support taking another kick at the PAC can say this new plan is very different from the first and, therefore, worthy of being put to the voters for consideration.

There are certainly differences between the proposal defeated in 2015 and the new one, but how significant are they? Is this truly an original idea, something ratepayers haven’t seen before?

Here’s a comparison of the basics of the 2015 concept, and the one that will go to voters next year:

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WHAT’S IN IT?

2015: The arts centre building would have been 97,600 sq. ft. and would have included a 1,200-seat main theatre, a 350-seat “black box” theatre, rehearsal and storage space, offices and a 355-stall parkade with two levels of parking.

2020: The new plan proposes 83,000 sq. ft. for theatres and related space plus 37,000 sq. ft. for parking. It features a 1,200-seat main theatre, a 450-seat studio theatre and a 75-100-seat “black box” theatre, plus administrative offices and other space but provides for only 70 underground parking stalls. It also includes an existing neighbouring building.

WHAT WILL IT COST TO BUILD?

2015: The project envisioned a $90-million arts centre package, of which $26 million would have been for the parkade, $64 million for the arts centre itself. The total cost included the $4.8 million the City had already borrowed via a counter-petition process to buy the former Kamloops Daily News property. Residents were asked to approve borrowing up to $49 million for the project; the rest coming from fundraising and grants from senior governments. That would have resulted in a property tax increase of one per cent for each of two years, translating to about $38 per year per average home for 20 years.

2020: The new plan would cost $70 million, achieved by paring down the number of parking stalls and leaving the City to deal with the parking issue separately. It does not include the $48 million borrowed to purchase the KDN property. This time, voters will be asked to approve borrowing up to $45 million; the rest would be obtained through fundraising and donations. The Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society hopes to further reduce the tax draw by surpassing its fundraising target of $22 million. The City says any borrowing up to the maximum would not result in a higher tax bill because the debt of the Tournament Capital Centre will be put to rest in the meantime. In other words, tax money saved by paying off the TCC debt would, in effect, be applied to the PAC.

WHAT WILL IT COST TO OPERATE?

2015: A $900,000 per year operating subsidy was forecast; any surplus would have gone into a capital reserve fund.

2020: The City’s annual operating contribution is estimated at $703,000 in Year One reducing to $383,000 in Year Five.

WHERE WILL PEOPLE PARK?

2015: The plan included 355 stalls of parking underneath the centre at a cost of $26 million. By way of comparison, a plan for a 355-stall multi-level parkade at the entrance to Riverside Park was defeated via counter petition in 2011. It would have cost $8 million.

2020: The new plan provides for only 70 underground stalls. The arts centre society takes the position that parking “isn’t our responsibility” and it’s up to the City to decide what to do about it. Thus far, City council hasn’t discussed a plan for how to accommodate a possible 500-600 extra vehicles in the downtown area on concert nights, but a downtown parking management plan is due in the second quarter of next year, leaving the possibility the PAC referendum could be held before the parking issue is resolved.

WHO WILL OWN AND OPERATE IT?

2015: If it had been approved, the centre would have been owned by the City and operated by a non-profit society.

2020: If approved, the centre will be owned by the City and, says the business case, run separately and independently by a City-owned subsidiary. It also proposes a City-sanctioned external board to provide oversight.

ORGANIZED OPPOSITION

2015: A group calling itself PAC Not Yet, headed up by former City councillor Nelly Dever, energetically campaigned against the project, citing as its reason the impact on taxation and saying the scope of the project needed to be reduced.

2020: Dever appeared at this week’s City council meeting, saying she supports the new plan, noting the difference in the tax models and calling the new plan “more balanced.” No organized opposition to the current proposal has made itself known so far.

HOW WILL IT BE DECIDED?

2015: A referendum in November 2015 attracted a 32-per-cent turnout, with 53.7 per cent of those who voted saying “No” to the question, “Are you in favour of the City of Kamloops borrowing up to $49 million to design and construct the parkade and performing arts centre complex?” The referendum cost $125,000 to hold, with another $35,000 for a public-information campaign. City council remained officially neutral.

2020: Rough estimate for the referendum cost has been given as $120,000. No budget has been set for a public information campaign but council members made it clear this week they want a thorough information strategy to make sure voters are well aware of details of the project. Council voted unanimously and enthusiastically in favour of holding another referendum so the issue of neutrality seems moot.

WHAT’S PLAN B?

2015: Following the defeat of the referendum, then-Mayor Peter Milobar famously said, “There is no Plan B,” and predicted it would be several years before a performing arts centre came up for discussion again.

2020: Proponents of the new plan say that if it fails, it will likely be many years before it comes up again, i.e. no Plan B.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

by Mel Rothenburger