Prince George has created a grant and reserve fund for a future performing arts centre (PAC).
At Monday night’s meeting (July 29), city council unanimously voted for recommendations that would see the creation of the grant and reserve fund.
During its 2019 budget deliberations, council approved $75,000 for the development of a Prince George arts and culture strategy. The city is working with Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and local arts organizations on the strategy.
Prince George Regional Performing Arts Centre Society has recently dissolved its organization and would like to donate its remaining funds (estimated at approximately $7,000) to the city and have them placed in the reserve fund.
The city also has $76,900.29 held in an account remaining from a one-time contribution from Initiatives Prince George. These funds were also given to the city to further efforts toward the provision of a performing arts centre in Prince George.
It was suggested by administration that the city could combine the two funding streams and create a reserve by bylaw for the use of those funds.
The grant and reserve fund would be used to fund the steps needed to create a PAC downtown; associated spending would have to be approved by the city manager in consultation with the executive director of the Community Arts Council of Prince George and District (CAC).
The CAC has also received funding from Heritage Canada to undertake a study to determine the feasibility and viability of a new community arts creative hub in the downtown core, and the city is also contributing to this study.
The organizations are currently working to confirm the assistance of a consultant with capacity to meet an expanded scope of work that now includes the development of a Downtown Arts Strategy.
The city says terms of consultancy assistance are being finalized, and work is expected to commence in early August.
