Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 12, 2011 4:35 PM
A
potential site for a new cultural complex in Vernon has been publicly disclosed. City council announced Monday that it supports in
principle the concept of an art gallery on the old Vernon Flower Shop
property on 31st Avenue. “We would see it as anchoring the cultural district,” said Dauna Kennedy Grant, Vernon Public Art Gallery executive director. The city purchased the land for $315,000 in July, but a
possible use had not been confirmed until Monday. Council’s decision triggers the gallery’s ability to
solicit planning and design dollars for a new facility from the federal
and provincial government. It hasn’t been decided if a public referendum would also be needed for a new gallery. A stand-alone gallery would cost about $5 million to
construct and the price tag would increase if the Greater Vernon Museum
was added. Discussions continue between the museum and gallery about possible collaboration. It’s hoped a new gallery could be open by 2015. Look for more details in Wednesday’s Morning Star.
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Council Backs Art Gallery Site
Written by Peter McIntyre
107.5 KISSFM Monday, 12 December 2011 17:11
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| 31st Avenue, site proposed for new Art Gallery (P McIntyre) |
Plans for a new Public Art Gallery in Vernon, have taken a step forward. City council has given support in principal to locating the facility
on city-owned land on the former Vernon Flower Shop site 3007/3009 31st
Avenue, across from Cenotaph Park. The Gallery's executive director Dauna Grant says they'll next be
seeking planning dollars, and exploring funding options, which could
include a referendum. "Now that we have this first piece in place that the
land is
available for this project, it makes it a little easier for us to
approach the different levels of government and to see which are the
most viable options for us to go with." Grant says a new gallery would cost five million dollars, and it's not known if the museum could also be located on that site. "We're definitely happy with the site. We see it as being able to
anchor a cultural district within the downtown, and the gallery is one
piece of a larger puzzle which would include the museum and other things
as well." Grant says they are still having discussions with the museum, and
they want to put out a request for comments and get professional input
to find out if its a suitable site for both facilities. City council has put a
one year timeline on its support at that site, in the hopes of keeping the process moving. Grant says the art gallery has a short timeline for getting the
process going as they would like to get into the new facility by 2015. "We have to present this project, once we've gone through the
planning, to Greater Vernon Services, because we are funded at that
level." Grant says the new building would be 18,000 square feet and three stories.It would replace the gallery's current location under the city parkade.
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