If you can't raise $100,000 to investigate the business case for a 51 million dollar facility, It should be fairly clear that your business case = fail.

Finally getting rid of a light on Queensway!!!

Now if, over the next four years, we can convince the city to retime the lights at 4th and 5th, so the traffic isn't always sitting their idling, we will have made a real change. The lights on 4th and 5th on Queensway are just terrible, and there is virtually no traffic on 4th or 5th to warrant a light. I see the RV dealers plan to pull out of that area very soon, so there goes more traffic.

$51.3 million dollars for a performing arts centre!...you have got to be kidding,if this goes through then I am moving from this place.
PG is becoming a joke.

I would think that 100K bucks would fix a lot of potholes in our paved streets or maybe improve snow removal since winter will be coming soon!

$100,000 to complete their business Plan? What makes their business plan different from any other business plan that the city doesn't pay for?

I sure hope we get a vote in this 51 million performing arts centre - we certainly don't need it. We have so many other important! things. I know this is not city - but a cancer clinic? and then there is our streets, downtown? and the list goes on. Can't they find something important to spend the $ on? Gee Whiz.

"They will present a plan for a facility that will be more than 87 thousand square feet, and cost between $42 and $51.3 million dollars."

That *more than 87 thousand square feet* is an enormous footprint, like 40 large homes at 2000 square feet each!

Actually, there would be enough space to accommodate the planned brand new RCMP headquarters as well!

Perhaps two birds can be killed with one stone - and the taxpayers' concerns given some attention to as well?

Fat chance!

Unbelievable.

Starbright - part of the issue is that there is no money!! If the city was so flush with cash that we could pay for a performing arts center and a new RCMP building in the same year, we would all be fighting over what brand of ATV the city buys for us, not whether or not we get an arts center!!!

If anyone thinks the RCMP building will be built for 30 million as advertised you are sadly mistaken as well.

According to study figures, it is estimated that 86516 people will attend the facility starting in the first year and increasing to 94523 people in 2015. This equates to a full house every 4 days. I guess all of the other venues will go empty, further adding to the taxpayers maintaince costs. We should be promoting business developement and increasing the tax base before we entertain any more of these pie in the sky projects. The infrastructure is falling apart and these people want to add another $51mil. to our debt load. A lesson in economics is in order. In the real world if you can't pay you don't ride the bus.

much better places to spend that amount of cash. Also better look at where the tax money comes from. People who are working. Look around the lumber industry. It is in a slump that most "experts " are predicting years to come out of.

It really doesn't matter what is right or wrong. There are many people in PG that have large personal bank accounts and tax loopholes to use to increase their wealth that want this center. They have no financial worries and care not about others.

You can be sure it will be built because the squeeky wheel gets the grease.

There seems to be a whole lot of squeeking on this issue.

With our mayor and council on the way out the door very shortly they have no business entertaining any discussion regarding the spending of taxpayers money.

If it's such a wonderful money maker you'd think private investors would be flocking to finance a performing arts centre?? You live here and want to support it? WELL simply take it private...issue shares...all the supporters can put their money where there mouth is.

I agree with lostfaith. No decisions of this magnitude should be made by our current council.........I do however agree that we need a peforming arts centre and it SHOULD be downtown. It will be a small step in cleaning this city up. I think the costs are over the top and the assumed number of attendees in a year is probably an exaggeration.

If you disagree with what's going on in this town then now is the time to make a move - the election is a week away and maybe it's time for a whole new gaggle of bright, young, energetic people to be sitting at the table.

There is a saying that goes something like this "if you always do what you've always done then you'll only have what you've always had". Think about it.

Next white elephant for this city!

I honestly believe this council gets kickbacks for building these facilities.

I am not sure why they are doing this a lot of us already suspect that the gaming center was built to home the perfoming center after mr. Major vacates..

We've already got several venues for the performing arts, so this project is not critical at all.

We already have several large facilities that get limited use in spite of their enormous cost to everybody.

A growing number of people will not be able to afford to make use of these facilities, making them elitist in nature, but paid for by everybody.

Let's instead do things that can and will benefit everybody from top to bottom. Something that is accessible to all in terms of travel and cost.

Prince George is building an urban ghetto downtown, let's focus on changing that first.

I have to agree with the earlier comment. If you can't even raise 100k to put together a business plan, you should not be looking for $51,000,000.00 to build the center.

Let's see, after building it, will likely cost $2,000,000.00 a year to operate it and maintain it.

This would mean that, with 90,000 patrons each year, they would have to pay $22.00 each just to operate it, nothing to do with cost recovery for capital investment, paying for actors, prop costs etc.

How many of the 90,000 patrons going to pay $70 to $80 to see a two hour play.

Lets get our heads screwed on straight. I would rather pay $22.00 and go to Theatre northwest and sit in plastic chairs.

Sorry but building a performing arts center downtown will do nothing to clean up the downtown.
I was recently in Vancouver where everywhere I walked around BC Place Stadium and GM Place there were dozens of homeless people bumming from everyone and sleeping in every nook and cranny they could fit into. The only thing that will clean up our downtown is action on the part of our provincial govt.
Don't hold your breathe.

I think they have enough theatres in this town now...utilize them!

Fix the roads!

Business Week headline: "Auto Sales Worst Since 1992. Shell-shocked consumers stay away from showrooms. GM sales down by 45%, Ford off 30%, and Toyota 23%."

Auto sales traditionally reflect consumer confidence and ability to borrow/spend.

Sign of the times. Other indicators are similarly negative.

Hopefully some people will get the message.

Fix the roads first.

What is it with people? here we are on the brink of recession, we still have no answer to the homeless people on downtown streets, we have increases to cost of living yet no increases to wages, and yet someone thinks a 50million performing arts centre is a good idea...????

I agree with rayban68, if you need 100,000.00 to complete a business plan...note to self, you're in the wrong business.
I would love to see a mayoral candidate that has the needs and wishes of the residents of Prince George at heart.

Looks like a great time to tell the dealers what we are willing to pay for that new pickup hey Diplomat?
I hear stories of 65K pickups going for 28K in the lower mainland. Perfect timing for me.

Diplomat - You don't give our city politicians the credit they deserve. It is very clear that they are fully aware of the sharp decline in auto sales: Obviously this means that there is anywhere from 23-45% LESS vehicles on the road!!!! Why fix potholes now that people have stopped driving?

I can't help but suspect there is a major push for this coming from contractors who are experiencing skinny times and need to build something.

I have not yet heard a compelling argument for this project, only a lot of speculation about what it might accomplish and far-reaching suppositions that it will bring about some miraculous changes that we cannot achieve without it.

Add to that, the underlying tone that we are all a bunch of backwoods, uneducated, inbred, retard hicks if we don't do it, and it becomes even less compelling.

Call me a retard and I'll keep my 50M, do something even more retarded with it, like build social housing outside of the downtown core, so it's too far to walk to hang out in front of the PG Hotel.