The Prince George and District Community Arts Council (CAC) says its grateful the City of Prince George made the decision to move forward with the next planning phase for the downtown civic core but is calling for a community-based approach.
“I feel that too often we are put into silos and categories - government vs non-government; owner vs operator. consultant vs. consultee,” said executive director Eli Klasner in a news release.
“I think now there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for representatives from City Administration and local groups and individuals to form a working group, with a clear mandate, to identify the scope of this project, collaborate on recruiting the professional consultants for the project, and having continued equal status on a project working team that reports back to City Council via Administrative staff.”
During the Dec. 18 council meeting, city council voted in favour of hiring a consultant to prepare options and site designs for the Civic Core District Plan area which will include shops and cafes with housing, a performing arts centre and an ice arena.
“We have incredibly talented, knowledgeable and experienced people right here in Prince George, with global experiences on the types of arts, sports and recreational facilities that would work for our unique community,” continued Klasner.
“While I acknowledge we need to hire top notch professionals in the areas of architecture, design, construction to help develop the actual site and building plans, and identify construction and on-going operating costs, it is my hope that City Administration will welcome groups and individuals here on the ground in Prince George as vital partners in this project, rather than as external parties with limited interests.”
He also said he’s advocating to incorporate a larger-scale meeting space to this project.
“Turning the entire civic core district into a dynamic, multi-user area, with opportunities for commercial and revenue-generating businesses and initiatives, will be key to ensuring the newly developed area will be active throughout the year, and be a meaningful and engaging space for Prince George residents and visitors alike,” he said.
Once the consultant develops the plans the item will return to council for further consultation and actions.
