Performing Arts Centre - Take Two

Late Thursday afternoon, many interested individuals including this reporter stopped by Market Square downtown for the unveiling of the new designs for the Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.  Some of us, I suspect, went with some measure of trepidation after having our hopes dashed last year when bids for the original design all came in well over budget.  So entertaining those hopeful thoughts these past several months was no easy task.

The original design by Diamond-Schmitt Architects in Toronto was expansive and as it turned out, expensive, too.  So judicious trimming to bring the project in on budget was undertaken the past several months and therein lies our collective trepidation.  After seeing what amounted to a veritable Taj Mahal of performing arts centres, some opined, anything less would be viewed as a come down and a disappointment.

Well, I am happy to report, our worst fears have been allayed.  Lead architect with Diamond-Schmitt on the project, Gary McCluskie, told me at the presentation the overall design has been retained; just modified with some of the more expensive features taken out along with some of the more expensive finishes replaced in order to bring the costs in line with what we can afford.  Essentially, the seating capacity of the main hall, recital hall and dance hall remains unchanged, which is good.  The result, according to most who attended the Open House Thursday was that it basically looked the same as the original design.

Kudos to Gary and the team at Diamond-Schmitt for being able to essentially pull another artistic rabbit out of the hat; while there are fundamental differences between the two designs, the appearance has not been altered significantly and to this reporter, at least, the new more compact design actually seems to work better.  The samples of the finishes to be used on display this week looked fine to me and the acoustic material should be just fine, too.  Don't forget, Diamond-Schmitt knows how to design a decent concert hall.  They have been doing this the world over for years.  So while the initial impression before the Open House was that we'd be 'cheaping out' on the project, Mr. McCluskie and Co. have proven there are more ways to achieve the same goal at a more reasonable cost.  That's what they are paid the big bucks to do, after all.

The overall feeling from those leaving the event was that yes, we can actually have a performing arts centre in the downtown core to be proud of.  Now we wait and see how the next round of tendering goes and how close the bids are to the projected target.  McCluskie told me that now, even if they are not in line this time, the project would be so close to target anyway it would just need some tinkering, if you will, to bring everything into line.  So essentially, they have lobbed their best pitch into the ballpark; it is up to those bidding on the project to hit it out of the park and we celebrate a home run.

Since city council has approved the new design, it goes out to tender in early April, with bids reviewed in May and if all goes well, construction could very well get underway by June.  Think about that for a moment.  In about four months, we could see shovels in the ground and the first stages of our artistic dream finally being realized.  Amazing!  Once again, I am getting excited, but will be keeping my fingers crossed this tendering process goes better than the last one.  Let's hope...

So, with an expected opening in September, 2015, we have to now start getting serious about making the new venue as good a story for those using the space as it will be for those of us attending performances there.  In the last year, Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects has left the city to take up residence at the Seneca Theatre in downtown Niagara Falls, so that is one tenant down.  But the rest who use the Sullivan Courthouse theatre downtown as well as Chorus Niagara, Centre for the Arts at Brock University and the NSO will be the primary tenants of the new facility.  The theatres will not all be running at all times, obviously, and there will be nights when one or more and even all will be dark.  It is inevitable.

But consider this:  the task for us now as the project moves forward is twofold.  We have to make sure the facility is affordable to tenants so they can afford to use the space provided, and we also have to start selling the facility to the public at large as well as concert bookers that a new, viable option is available to them.  As nice as the new PAC will be, if the rent is out of reach for those wanting to use the facility, we'll have a problem.  And unless the public embraces the new venue beyond the traditional arts community, we will have more dark nights than we can all afford.  Selling a spectator facility is a no-brainer as hockey is in our collective blood.  This facility, however, will be seen by some members of the public as unnecessary.  That's a wrong opinion, of course, but it is a feeling that is out there.

These are exciting times for our downtown.  We have a spectacular new parking garage, work has started on the new spectator facility in the lower level parking lot, plans are moving forward on the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts complex and of course, the new PAC.  This stretch downtown will be what I like to refer to as our "New Golden Mile" and together will go a long way to revitalizing our downtown core.  More needs to be done, of course, including bringing more residential development if at all possible, but these projects all work together to help create a thriving, vibrant, living downtown core.  It will never again be the retail hub of Niagara, but it can and will be the cultural hub of Niagara, and for me, that works out just fine.

Fears have been erased; optimism has returned.  Now, let's get those tenders out and get going on building our future downtown!

March 9th, 2013.