Kelowna's mayor dismayed as council votes to reconsider location of proposed arts centre

Arts centre an election issue

Photo: Google Maps

The City of Kelowna has selected Pioneer Gardens as the proposed site for a new performing arts centre.

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas has accused some on council of politicking with the proposed location of a new performing arts centre.

In December, council unanimously endorsed in principle the Pioneer Gardens location adjacent to the Delta Grand parkade, however, a strong public push back on the site was swift and loud.

Coun. Gord Lovegrove brought forward a motion last week asking city staff to review all potential downtown sites both city- and privately-owned, but withdrew it after receiving verbal assurances that staff would take another look at non-park sites downtown.

But at Monday's council meeting, Lovegrove raised concerns that the wording of that exchange within the meeting minutes did not reflect the request, bringing the issue back before council.

Council voted 7-2 to direct city staff to evaluate other potential sites downtown—while completing a viability analysis of the Pioneer Gardens site—with Mayor Dyas and Coun. Wooldridge voting against and accusing their colleagues of politicking.

“I am fine to see this move forward and spend more tax dollars on staff time to analyze more sites just to come back to us with more delays on a decision we have already made,” said Wooldridge.

“I’m frustrated because we are revisiting yet another decision that we all were quite happy to get in front of when this gallery was filled with supporters.

“Then we get a few emails in an election year and here we are, revisiting this. We should make a decision and move forward with it.”

Dyas shared similar frustrations.

"They come back and tell us (the preferred location) and we approve it, and then come back 60 days later and say we don’t want to approve it,” said Dyas.

“I think it shows a decision was made and you are back-and-forth to try and appease communications you received at that particular point in time.

“I believe this is just because of the time of year and what is coming up this year that we are looking at this, more so than the true reality of trying to move initiatives forward.”

Coun. Luke Stack, who initially suggested the site wasn’t on his radar but supported it because it is “well connected” to the Cultural District, said a second look at the location for the art centre is "reasonable."

"We heard loud and clear from the public, they were very concerned about the Pioneer Gardens site,” said Stack.

“This does not exclude it. It still remains a potential site, but we now open the door to look at other potential sites,” said Stack.

“Obviously, we want everyone in the site to be supportive of the site for the performing arts centre.”

Dyas said he expects it to now take longer than the initial estimate of about eight months for a viability analysis of the Pioneer Gardens site.