Former mayors and current councillors voiced support for a the proposed performing arts centre on July 29, 2024.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

People packed the parking lot for a downtown Kamloops arts festival Monday evening.

Despite the light rain, roughly 1,350 showed up for the event that both showcased the local arts scene and promoted the planned performing arts centre that could fill the downtown parking lot in a few years.

Dancers, musicians and graffiti artists showed off their skills, while City of Kamloops officials mingled with the crowd at the corner of Seymour Street and 4 Avenue. City councillors were pleased but unsurprised to see the size of the crowd that showed up for the event, feeling optimistic that much of the city's residents want to see the performing arts centre finally built.

At the finale of the event, all eight city councillors took the stage following local arts leaders who gave their support for the proposed facility.

READ MORE: Kamloops eyes September deadline for counter petition on $275M loan

Coun. Mike O'Reilly said past politicians and bureaucrats started planning the venue 30 years ago as he introduced three of the last four mayors to give their support.

"This is a place I have a particular affection for. This is a place I used to come to work here each and every day and weekends as well," former Mayor Mel Rothenburger said, lamenting the loss of the Kamloops Daily News which once had its offices on the parking lot.

The City bought the property for $4.8 million after the Daily News closed in 2014 and has long planned to use the site for the venue. For years, however, it has remained a parking lot in the heart of downtown Kamloops.

Rothenburger said the City's current plan for an arts venue is an "opportunity to do something very good" with the property and it may be the "last one we have in our lifetimes."

He was followed to the microphone by former Kamloops Mayor and current MLA Peter Milobar, and the most recent former Mayor, Ken Christian.

READ MORE: TRUE OR FALSE: Fact-checking Kamloops mayor's press conference statements

Christian said he considers the venue "unfinished business" from his own term, feeling voters would have supported a referendum on the arts centre in 2020 if the pandemic didn't interrupt the City's plans.

"I am delighted to see tonight that there is that enthusiasm tonight that there was then," Christian said.

More than four years later, voters won't be asked to head to the ballot box to decide this time. Instead, it will first be decided through a counter petition process. If less than 10 per cent of the electorate sign a counter petition opposing a $140 million loan to build the venue, the City will go ahead with the facility.

The last time the proposed performing arts centre went to referendum was in 2015 before the City tore down the Daily News building. At that time it would have been a $49 million loan to build the venue around the existing building, rather than starting from scratch.

Former mayor Terry Lake was "stuck in Vancouver" and couldn't attend the event, O'Reilly told the crowd.

Current Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson did not attend.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024