There’s already drama on centre stage with plans for Barrie’s new performing arts centre.
At Saturday’s special general committee meeting, city councillors debated and ultimately defeated a motion to delay proposed spending in future capital budgets for funding estimates that are already most likely out-of-date.
The four-hour-plus meeting postponed an estimated $252 million in capital spending until after 2031, but had no impact on plans for a new performing arts centre — which will be presented in January by its task force, after council approves its 2022 capital budget in December.
Among the options being considered for a new performing arts centre is a 900-seat main theatre, a 350-seat second theatre and a 5,000-square-foot multi-purpose room, costing $55 million to $60 million plus.
But the existing capital budget has a $26-million price tag, starting with $200,000 next year and $300,000 in 2023 for design, then $25.5 million in construction costs from 2025 to 2028 — when the facility was to be built as a renovated Fisher auditorium, since demolished.
“There’s half a million dollars in the next two years and decisions haven’t even been made as to how this is going to look,” said Coun. Gary Harvey, referring to the task force. “I think we’re theoretically having a hypothetical debate about something that we don’t even have all the information on yet, and it would probably be much more prudent to do it after we do have this presentation.”
Coun. Sergio Morales suggested those capital budget amounts all be pushed back one year, and introduced a motion to that effect.
“Let’s wait for the task force to come to see if we want to opt in, i.e. into the vision in the plan,” he said. “We haven’t seen the information. I want to hear the task force and be allowed to opt in. (This budget timing) puts me in a situation where I have to opt out.
“Procedurally, I want the task force to come not assuming that they already have money allocated in capital (budget) toward design,” Morales added. “It’s better to just buy into a vision than have to buy out and amend it in the budget.”
Coun. Jim Harris, chairman of the performing arts task force, disagreed with pushing the funding back a year.
“If I look at the calendar year, I think 2024 should be the year we should start construction, not wait a year and have a gap year,” he said, “so I think you guys are going the wrong way on this.”
Mayor Jeff Lehman agreed.
“We’re going into a full discussion into costs, merit, timing of a performing arts centre without having seen any of the information to support that discussion. Today’s not the day for it,” he said. “I don’t think this motion (from Morales) is well thought through. There’s no point to it. The task force has not yet reported and… all of the numbers are going to change, the rationale may change, the funding sources may.”
Lehman noted the project will require provincial and federal funding as well, as the city could not afford to go it alone.
“I would urge us not to spend the next half an hour or hour debating the merits of something that we just don’t have any of the information about yet and to move on to making some decisions that can actually affect our taxpayers today,” the mayor said.
Morales noted the cost of a new performing arts centre has ballooned.
“This project has more or less tripled in projection, so if we’re talking about having a well-thought-out plan for a capital investment. … This is obviously problematic,” he said. “Sometimes you have to either reduce your scope or cut your losses, not throw good money after bad.”
“It’s a shame the good work of members of council is being treated this way,” Lehman said of the task force, which also includes Couns. Robert Thomson and Clare Riepma.
The mayor noted a 2002 application to SuperBuild (a provincial/federal infrastructure fund) for an $80-million, 1,000-seat theatre in Barrie.
“The numbers have been all over the place,” Lehman said. “There’s been like eight different versions of this project over the years, three members of council and the entire cultural community who have been waiting for this for years, have put a lot of work into it.
“All I’m saying is wait and get the presentation and then take your decisions," he added.
Morales’s motion was defeated.
