It appears that the taxpayers have a big bulldozer coming at them with the words "Performing Arts" painted on the blade! And it's getting closer.

Taxpayers are getting buried by these things that have costs that never end. No wonder the municipal taxes continue to rise in PG. Reminds me of the old days when the NDP wanted more tax money every year to keep bulldozing everything flat. Nothing grows except debt in this city. I wonder if any prospective councillors will be running on a platform of reducing the debt?

Heehee! I'm funny!

Sounds like you would rather live in Houston or even Spuzzum. They have real low taxes and great facilities.

They have enough live performance theatres in this town now...and I feel that they are under used...
utilize what you have....or unify them all into one and share the costs...
The last thing I want is more taxes for something I doubt will be used except by a very few and not very often...
my opinion....

Fix our damn roads

What is the projected revenue expected to be over the next 2-5 years?

What is the projected debt within that timeline?

Can they not utilize existing facilities such as the PG Playhouse or rent the Civic Centre as needed? Be cheaper than the route they all planning now.

Is there a projected attendance calculated for this facility?

And does the public have access to the business plan if we are the money backing this premature adventure?

All I ever hear is "clean up our downtown", "revitalize", "develop", "give us something to be proud of", "our downtown sucks", "there is nothing to offer". So, no bingo /casino, no more bars, no more pubs. No support from the public to have the city help out with the farmers market. Now, no support for a performing arts center. What is it people want, exactly? What would revitalize our downtown? What establishments would be considered acceptable?

Want want want want want... but every attempt at doing something is shot down it seems. Obviously no one wants to invest in our downtown, so perhaps the city making a contribution to make some things happen there would be a good start. It has to start somewhere and I sure don't see anyone lining up to invest their own money in it.

A performing arts center (maybe not the best idea out there, but is a start) would attract people. Get the people downtown and more business will follow.

I agree with you Singlemom however,IMO we cannot continue just plugging in public funded facilities at a loss with no solid benifit to the entire city as a whole.

This place needs some strong numbers of attendance if it's to have any impact on the change of downtown. I support any development if it is a direct benifit to the city.

Running debts is not a benifit given the economic problems we are suffering at this time.

A user pay system for this center would be a good thing.

A user pay system for the hockey rinks in town as well, such that the users fully support the cost of running the facility and no longer require our tax dollars to pay for them, same with the swimming pools.

Actually if we are going to do that, same for a fire or police call. If you call the fire truck you get charged for the cost of the fire people, rental of the truck and so on.

You just don't get it hey Lunar?
Taxpayers don't have the money anymore for all the special interest groups digging into our pockets. There are greater priorities to look after in this town at the moment, other than the luxury items some want.

Oh but I do get it. I am going with your idea and head to a user pay system for everything. I never use the hockey arena's in town and lucky enough have not had to use the fire service, so why should I have to pay for it ?

So why should the Performance centre be a user pay with 100% cost of recovery versus the other civic facilities in town ?

Like I said you don't get it.
I never said user pay for everything ,thats your brainchild.

A performing arts center is, (read carefully Lunar) a "luxury item" that can wait until the real priorities in this city have been repaired and payed for. Taxpayers are done with paying for everything the special interest groups feel should be built in this town.

If it's that important to this special interest group that this center is built before more important items are taken care of then thats why it should be user pay.

It's usually those that have no financial worries in the world that come up with all the bright ideas we see, this center is no exception.

"""What is it people want, exactly? What would revitalize our downtown? What establishments would be considered acceptable? """


Nothing will revitalize our downtown, it's become our own little East Vancouver situation...just what we need a performing arts center downtown, so when and if we went our parked vehicles could provide some more shopping opportunities for our disadvantaged downtown denizens.

Well the city manager and mayor over the years have totally done in the city now with debt and gotten us this far. According to the BC Government and Stats Canada we are in a prosperity time. If this is not the right time for a luxury then when is ?

I should point out I am sort of joking on this whole issue. We are forever being told how rosy the future is, etc. but for some reason the bank account doesn't seem to reflect that.

Did we really need a million dollar score board at the arena, a underground tunnel that everyone said would be a druggies heaven, and it is, etc.

So lostfaith I am agreeing with you that the priorities of this city are messed up and in some ways to the point of no return. The three pot holes in front of my house are still there and I reported them months ago. I just traveled halfway across Canada on vacation and the most amount of pot holes encountered are in PG.

I agree Jim1335...
I have been saying that downtown PG is the East Hastings of the North...for 4 years now.

Clean up the riff-raff and once people feel safe, then maybe, it will get better downtown plain and simple.

It's alot like painting over a rusty car at the moment...will look shiny and new for a lil while, then the rust will eat through again.

Turf the rusty car!!

Clean up the riff-raff - I agree. Where should they go? Should they be moved to a nearby residential area just like the prostitutes were? Downtown will not change, but our downtown is no different than the downtown of most other cities and I'm not sure why people think it should be. So, let's say clean up, but let's not put anything into it or support any attempts to improve.

Let's all talk downtown revitalization to death again until November? Hey , folks. It ain't gonna happen. Then we don't have to yak or worry about it until six months before the next election. Wake up and smell the downtown (instead of the coffee). That downtown revitalization dead horse has been flogged so many times it kinda boggles the mind. What about tourism? That been flogged to death too? What with gas prices, it is history. How about a public campground before a Performing Arts Centre? Blah, blah, blah.

Lunarbase your such a chain yanker LMAO.

Singlemom, you see all those ugly buildings in the downtown?

Those ugly buildings are owned by residents of this city as well as others from out of town.

Can you explain to us all why the taxpayers of this city should pay for beautifying someones personal property?

I know exactly why it's not getting done, because the owners of these buildings think if they wait long enough the taxpayers will pay.

What exactly is a special interest group and how do you decide which ones should get attention over the others?

In my opinion any group of people trying to get their hands on taxpayer dollars for their groups benefit is a special interest group.
We have way too many of them in this country.

How to decide who gets the attention?
Lets see......well who is it exactly that you know and how much are you offering in kickbacks?