Artist's rendering of the proposed performing arts centre at 393 Seymour St.
Image Credit: Business Case
November 02, 2015 - 10:30 AM
KAMLOOPS – A referendum on the proposed performing arts centre in Kamloops is only six days away, but you can vote today in the last of the advance polls.
The advance poll will be open form from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, Nov. 2, at Heritage House located at 100 Lorne St.
The City of Kamloops will also host information sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Parkside Lounge in the Sandman Centre from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.
The proposed performing arts centre has both support and opposition with two formal groups lobbying from either side.
Mayor Peter Milobar and the rest city council support building a centre; as himself and others ran in the municipal election with the centre as part of their platform.
Local business along with the Kamloops Arts Gallery and Kamloops Symphony Orchestra formed the ‘YES’ campaign group to encourage residents to vote in favour of the proposed centre.
Former city councillor Nelly Dever is the spokesperson for the group called ‘PAC Not Yet.' Her group objects to the plan to spend tax dollars and large amounts from the city's reserve funds to pay for the project.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the referendum will ask residents if they are in favour of borrowing $49 million to build a performing arts centre. The referendum is expected to cost $160,000.
The proposed centre is a $90 million dollar project, with $25 million of that slated for a parkade. If built, it will be located at 393 Seymour St., the former Kamloops Daily News building.
It would be financed through a one percent increase in property taxes in 2016 and an additional one per cent in 2017, which translates into roughly $40 dollars per household, per year 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.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015