The cost to build an arts and culture centre in Yarmouth was revealed last night.
$25 million.
A public session was held at the Rodd Grand Hotel where the construction cost and concept design where presented by MacKay-Lyons-Sweetapple Architects.
Mayor Pam Mood says that $25 million would be evenly split by the three levels of government, with the municipal share being split between government money and fundraising.
CJLS News asked the mayor why Yarmouth needs an arts and culture centre with that price tag.
“Someone said to me last week, ‘mayor why don’t you learn to lead with what we have and exactly where we are?’ It broke my heart, the status quo is just not an option. When things stay the way they are then other communities surpass you. if we want jobs, arts and culture is part of those pieces to attract people here.”
She says they will ask the Municipalities of Argyle and Yarmouth for financial support.
“It’s a regional centre. We’ve spoken a little but not to detail. it’s up to them of they come in.”
Part of the report strongly recommended the town reconcile its differences with the Th’Yarc.
Several people took the opportunity to stand at a mic and make comments and ask questions and that issue was raised by a couple of people including Phil Ready, a former member of the board of directors of Th’Yarc.
“Ten years ago we brought forward a plan to the town of Yarmouth, it was $15 million. We owned the land. There are 600 members of the Th’Yarc who have a 40 year history of providing arts to the community. For some reason it’s become a town project, it’s become usurped.”
The issue has created some bad feelings between the town and members of Th’Yarc and the arts centre has become very divisive in the community with people opposed and in favour taking a strong stand.
Howard Ryhno said it looked like the consultants and the town were dreaming in colour.
“Yarmouth is aging out Nova Scotia. It’s going extinct. If something isn’t done to bring in jobs we’re not going to have arts centre. We need jobs.”
Belle Hatfield said she’s watched the evolution of the vision getting a little more concrete with each meeting.
“We’ve been presented with an opportunity tonight that I think is probably doable. It’s scaled to the community that we’re living in. I think what in hearing is that the creative culture can be job creating, that it’s not a drain but it’s actually a driver of economic development. I think the town recognized that a long time ago which is why it adamantly identified the need to have this thing developed and built in the downtown. this is an opportunity for the community to achieve what I think is held is generally held as a majority opinion which is we need a new arts and cultural centre for our community. If this project fails, and make no mistake about it, the council is going to have to make a decision…go or not go. It is not a done deal. It requires the community to get be hind the project,”
The next phase of the project will be the operational assessment, the annual cost to run the arts centre.
Here is a video presentation of the conceptual design that was shown last night:
You can listen to part one of a two-part feature on Thursday night’s arts centre public session this Sunday morning on the Y95 CJLS Weekender.
