Smithers Council isn’t moving ahead with a $100,000 feasibility study on the proposed Bulkley Valley Arts & Culture Centre just yet.
An estimated costs of $16 million and some disappointment with the pre-feasibility study among some councillors have prompted council to take another look.
The study looked at how the Library, Visitors Center, Museum and community radio could all work out of one location with three concepts and locations around town presented.
The aim of the project, as discussed by council, is to allow the expansion of services to keep up with public demands.
“The number one thing for me was the consultants didn’t really temper the responses of the tenants with what is financially tangible and reasonable for a community of this size,” says Councillor Phil Briennesse.
“And unfortunately now the community feels it’s a $16 million facility. And the reality this (Pre-feasibility study) was just a first step to look at what the organizations need. And now council needs to sit down and put in that filter of what’s reasonable and what’s realistic.”
Out of 69 comments from the public as a part of the pre-feasibility study, 32 per cent were concerned about the high cost of the facility. 51 per cent also indicated they weren’t in favour of any of the proposed locations.
As a result, council also wants to get more public feedback on the whole project.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach says the study didn’t show the efficiencies they were hoping for by bringing several public amenities into one building. He says he’s also not ok with the estimated $16 million dollar cost revealed in the study.
Councillor Bill Goodacre also expressed some concern on how some of the service providers like the library need to get working on expanding services.
He says the library has been vying for more space for around a decade.
Goodacre has also blasted council for not including the Office of the Wet’suwet’en in plans for the BV Arts & ‘Culture’ Centre. He says the study didn’t include any Wet’suwet’en culture and says he’ll be staunchly opposed to the project until that’s rectified.
Bachrach said at this week’s council meeting that the title ‘Arts & Culture Centre’ could be a bit ‘loaded’, and admitted council could do more to include the Wet’suwet’en in the plan.
Council will be looking at holding a committee of the whole meeting ahead of the next council meeting.