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Theatre budget draws audience

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In Barrie
Feb 16th, 2011
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City to finance dditional $593,000; councillors trying to get its act together over costs
By BOB BRUTON – Brrie Examiner February 16 2011
Posted 9 hours agoCity councillors will dig deep to complete Barrie’s Downtown Community Theatre.
They decided Monday to finance another $593,000 for the Five Points performing arts centre, bringing its debt to almost $1.86 million.
This construction project now has a $6-million bill. Along with the $1.2 million price to buy the Dunlop Street West property, and the $525,141 interest on the portion to be debentured (how municipalities borrow money), the theatre has a total cost of about $7.7 million.
“This really should be a good-news story, but it ends up being bittersweet,” said Coun. Michael Prowse, chairman of the city’s finance committee. “This is a project that has spiralled out of control.
“We have blown through every stop sign. I find that very frustrating.”
Three unanticipated site condition costs led to much of the extra expense — buried hydro infrastructure, relocating a transformer and foundation/ wall stabilization.
Inflation on construction pricing has also added to the project’s cost.
This extra $593,000 might be eligible for 50% funding from Cultural Spaces Canada.
The former city council was tipped off in November that the theatre project was over-budget. But the new council has to sign off on the additional expenses.
Some are doing so with great reluctance.
“That’s a lot of money,” said Coun. Doug Shipley. “But I don’t think leaving a building half done is a good idea.”
“Nobody planned on having a $600,000 shortfall,” said Coun. Alex Nuttall. “This is a 10% increase. More than that. We need to find ways to deal with it, not just push it into debt.”
The theatre project did have a $5.4-million budget.
When the theatre project was approved last year, council decided that, should capital costs increase, taxpayers would not have to foot the bill. Savings would have to be found elsewhere in the project, or elsewhere in the city’s capital budget.
Its financing includes $2.5 million in federal money and $1.3 million fundraised from the arts and culture community, and its supporters. A Barrie Downtown Community Theatre fundraising steering committee has been formed and a fundraising consultant hired.
Coun. Bonnie Ainsworth remains skeptical.
“My experience says the fundraising won’t show up,” she said. “I can’t understand this project. Nothing makes sense to me.
“Goodbye. I’m out.”
Rudi Quammie Williams, the city’s culture director, said Monday that no dollars have yet been raised but that efforts are well underway — an opinion seconded by Mayor Jeff Lehman.
The theatre project is to be substantially complete by March 31 — which is a condition of the federal funding.
The former Scotiabank building was demolished to construct the new theatre. It will have 175-plus seats in theatre configuration, and as many as 300 seats in a banquet-style setting.
It is expected to generate an economic spinoff of an estimated $4 million annually and to be a key component of the area’s revitalization.

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