Group pushes for gallery/museum under one roof

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning StarPublished: May 10, 2013 1:00 AM
One elected official doubts plans for Greater Vernon’s cultural amenities will be revisited. A group calling itself the Vernon Revitalization Society told the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Thursday that the art gallery and museum should be constructed together on the Coldstream Hotel site and not separately on other properties. “There is nothing new,” said Rob Sawatzky, a GVAC director, of the society’s proposal. “All of the issues they have raised have been part of considerable analysis. At the request of the art gallery and the museum, that concept has been considered and we’ve gone in a different direction.” The City of Vernon supports a new art gallery on the old flower shop site on 31st Avenue and expanding the current museum to meet demands for additional space. However, culture is a GVAC mandate and there has been no decision on the future of the gallery and the museum. “Until we get the parks, recreation and culture service review completed, nothing will take place,” said Mike Macnabb, chairperson. Macnabb admits he found the society’s plans for the Coldstream Hotel site interesting. “It represents another option and all options should be considered,” he said. The Vernon Revitalization Society points out that the city purchased the Coldstream Hotel lands for cultural activities. “It will entice tourists to stay in Vernon and spend time enjoying the downtown area,” said spokesperson Holly Baxter of her group’s proposal. The group also envisions the project including retail shops, office and housing. “Having an arts and culture-centred residential complex in Vernon’s city centre will encourage more residents to want to live downtown,” said Baxter. It’s been suggested private interests could pursue the entire development with the city selling the land to cover the costs for the museum and gallery. “This could be a high-quality signature development,” said Charles Wills, a retired architect Wills also says the separate concepts for the gallery and museum are inefficient. “Each of these buildings will require an elevator, two sets of stairs, washrooms, foyer and service areas. Such duplication will be hugely wasteful and costly both in a capital expenditure sense and in terms of continuing staff requirements to supervise each additional floor,” he said. The Vernon Public Art Gallery insists it is not pulling away from plans for the flower shop site. “We’re thrilled to see there is interest in the community for a new gallery and museum,” said Dauna Kennedy Grant, executive director. “We hope to encourage them (society) to come on board with the current vision.” While the Coldstream Hotel property is owned by the city, it would have to be purchased by GVAC if a gallery and museum proceeded there. “It’s an expensive piece of real estate,” she said, adding that city taxpayers have a large investment in the Coldstream Hotel site. “There would be big losses in the future if it doesn’t go to (commercial) development.”