Consultants chosen to review new performance venue proposal

A group pushing for a new performance venue in downtown Kelowna is pleased the city has chosen a team of consultants to study the financial aspects of the proposal.

Members of Citizens for a New Performing Arts Centre, which launched in February, have been meeting regularly with city officials to push for the creation by 2026 of a contemporary, world-class performing arts centre to replace the Kelowna Community Theatre which the groups calls outdated. At the same time, the organization has been rallying support among performers, business groups, arts and culture organizations, and the community at large.

“This is exciting news because it signals a clear acknowledgement of the importance of this initiative,” said Patricia Ainslie, founding president of the advocacy organization. “The short deadline for the study also suggests to us that City Hall is serious about pulling together the knowledge and data needed to get this project off the ground.”

While the city has not yet publicly released the name of the consulting firm selected to conduct the financial feasibility study, the contractors carrying out the work are said to have extensive backgrounds in the arts and culture sector, and expertise in philanthropic fund development, municipal infrastructure planning and delivery, and partnership development.

Citizens for a New Performing Arts Centre will be among the stakeholders engaging with the consulting team, according to Kelowna city staff.

“We’re delighted to give voice to the gratifying groundswell of support that has been building behind this project,” Ainslie noted, adding the organization has already attracted hundreds of enthusiastic supporters and volunteers keen to sustain the momentum.

The consultant study is expected to begin this month, with a final report due by early November. The city had previously budgeted $100,000 to examine funding options for the creation of a new performing arts centre, and how to mitigate the implications of shutting down the community theatre during construction of a new venue.