Friday May 15, 2020 ~ COLWOOD
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
This week a proposed performing arts centre development for central Colwood was introduced to the broader community. The proponent is the Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society (JdFPACS), spearheaded by Judith Cullington who is a former City of Colwood councillor.
The City of Colwood will hear the proposal for the high-density mixed use urban development anchored by Emily Carr Centre for the Arts, at their
Economic Prosperity Committee on Monday June 8.
The proposed location for the development is the site of the Park & Ride site at the corner of Island Highway and Ocean Boulevard. That’s across the way from the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre (owned by West Shore Parks and Recreation), just down the way from the Colwood Corners retail mall where mixed-use high-density residential is also under development, and across from Wale Road where there are restaurants, offices and a hotel.
Speaking with West Shore Voice News this week, Cullington was clearly excited to finally be revealing the details of this project which has been in the planning phase for a while. A location and viable path forward for the project were hinted at during the JdFPACS annual general meeting earlier this year (February 23 AGM report). The anticipation was palpable.
The right fit for Colwood:
The a well-integrated commercial, retail and arts sector project shows leadership from within the arts community which is somewhat unique. Big development projects usually surface from the development community itself.
If the project goes ahead they would engage with professional developers to actually build the project, says Cullington.
Cullington told the JdFPACS members this week: “As you may know, we have been championing the development of a theatre and arts centre on the West Shore for many years. We now have an exciting opportunity to make our dream to build the HeART of the West Shore come true.”
The Emily Carr Centre for the Arts and surrounding retail-commercial, amenities and community amenities development called Colwood Place would be a vibrant hub for Colwood which since the 2008-2009 economic hit of the Great Recession has not really caught up.
Cullington says the arts centre component would have a theatre to seat about 350 people. As an intimate cultural destination the Emily Carr Centre for the Arts would be complementary to the larger 1,200-seat theatre proposed back on February 25 as within the City of Langford’s project on McCallum Road in association with the Maritime Museum of BC.
Multi-faceted development:
The Colwood Place project would encompass the following:
• Feature the Emily Carr Centre for the Arts (350-seat theatre, smaller black box theatre, art gallery, rehearsal spaces, and teaching space for drama, music, dance, fine arts and more);
• Create an economic ‘hub’, with boutique hotel, office and commercial space;
• Include other community amenities, such as a public square; and
• Ensure continued parking for Park and Ride users.
Situated at the gateway to Colwood, next to West Shore Parks & Recreation, the Colwood Transit Exchange, and near cultural assets like Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites, Esquimalt Lagoon, and the Royal Roads University campus, the JdFPACS “believes this is the perfect spot to place the jewel in the West Shore’s crown of world-class amenities”.
Business Plan and Funding Model:
“We have created a sustainable business plan in support of this development that includes innovative revenue streams to offset the operating costs of the arts centre,” says Cullington.
In stepping beyond a traditional funding model, Cullington says: “Our aim is to enable the arts centre to operate without reliance on municipal funding.” Some funding sources might include donations from people who bequeath their estates to the arts society, as well as various investment structures.
Seeking public support:
The JdFPACS group is hoping for public support at Colwood’s Economic Prosperity Committee meeting on June 8. All city council members are on the committee.
Anyone who supports the project concept is invited to email to secretary@building4thearts.com by May 24, 2020. The group is looking for comments on how the project will benefit individuals, groups or businesses. Include full name/address (including municipality). These messages of support will apparently be shared with Colwood Mayor and Council as part of the presentation.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the Colwood Place project is invited to contact JdFPACS president Judith Cullington by email at president@building4thearts.com who says she will do her best to address them as part of the presentation.