They have a potential site, but many Kamloops city councillors remain on the fence about whether they are ready to dedicate a quarter-of-a-million dollars to the preliminary studies required for a performing-arts centre.
The $260,000 study package is one of many items of this year’s supplemental list.
On March 25, councillors will decided which to add the 2014 budget and which to push back to future years.
A lack of land is one issue some councillors raised in a preliminary debate in February, with Nancy Bepple and Marg Spina suggesting the city should hold off on spending at least half the suggested sum until a building was located.
Following the city’s announcement of its deal to buy the downtown Kamloops Daily News building from Glacier Media for $4.8 million, Spina still thinks spreading the $260,000 over several years has merit, but hasn’t decided how she will vote.
“I think there is a vision. Whether this is the year to start with a quarter-million in planning dollars, I don’t know,” she said.
Ken Christian said he needs to do some number-crunching before March 25, but thinks the deal to buy the newspaper property at Seymour Street and Fourth Avenue added momentum.
“We can not have the kind of tax increases that we’ve had,” he said.
“If there’s room within, say, a two per cent tax increase for that, that’s a very valid project that I think just became a bit more valid.”
Arjun Singh feels much the same.
“I’m probably leaning towards supporting it, but my line in the sand is I’d like to see our tax hike kept below two per cent,” he said.
“So, even stuff that I’m leaning towards funding probably is more than that.”
Other councillors said they’re comfortable putting at least some money toward the performing-arts centre, but aren’t yet convinced the Daily News lot is the ideal place for the building.
Tina Lange pointed out the alley that cuts through the lot, running between the former newspaper offices and the back parking lot, is a conduit for many of the city’s pipes and wires, which make it a more difficult spot on which to build.
But, before the city nails down a location, Lange wants to know if the centre will bring money into the community.
“We need to know, looking at other communities, how does it work, what’s the business case?” she said. “Because if there isn’t a business case, there’s no point in going any further. ”
Pat Wallace also cautioned against ruling out other sites at this stage, but said she’s planning to vote for the full $260,000 when it comes up for debate.
“You’ve got to spend money,” she said. “You’ve got to have a 20-year vision, not a five-year [vision].”
