Taking the next step towards a performing arts centre

KAMLOOPS – The next step in moving forward on a referendum for the proposed performing arts centre is set to take place this week.

Residents will be asked if they are in favour of the city borrowing up to $49 million to design and construct the parkade and performing arts centre complex in a fall referendum and in preparation council will take the first steps of approving that loan this week. If the referendum shows support of the borrowing then council will give final approval at that point.

Council is also being asked to approve preparations for the Nov. 7 referendum, which is estimated to cost $160,000. This will include setting the advance voting date for Nov. 2, allowing voting at 11 care homes over a three-day period, allowing voting by mail and allowing for voting at 17 polling stations the day of, including Royal Inland Hospital and Sahali Centre Mall.

The preliminary plan was unveiled to the public April 9. The performing arts centre is expected to cost $90 million dollars and incur $49 million worth of debt. The site of the proposed centre, the home of the former Kamloops Daily News building on Seymour Street, was previously purchased for roughly $6 million.

If approved, the current funding strategy will see resident’s taxes rise one per cent in 2016, then an additional one per cent in 2017. This increase will see an average increase of $40 dollars per household for 20 years.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.