What's Up In the South End?

To Be, or Not to Be? THAT is the question.

At the last City Council meeting on Monday, December 3, 2012, City Council voted to consider spending up to $800,000 over a 5-year period in exterior building repairs to Nanaimo Centre Stage. Over the next few months they will decide between making a long-term investment in Nanaimo Centre Stage or selling the building and terminating our current License of Use.

Over the past week, we have received many phone calls and emails from our renters and patrons with questions and concerns about our next steps moving forward and what we can all do to work together to preserve the future of Nanaimo Centre Stage. The Centre for the Arts Nanaimo (CAN)  board of directors and staff would like to thank all of you for offering your pro‑active support for Nanaimo Centre Stage.

Is NCS worth saving?
Absolutely! Nanaimo Centre Stage is used by almost 30 unique arts and cultural organizations. 70% of those organizations are local. We maximize profits for our artists, allowing them to run their own bar, concession, merchandise tables, and box office. We have built in technical equipment so renters do not have to bring in outside rental equipment. We offer a flat fee on rent and do not take percentages or charge additional fees on the above-mentioned items. We have three long-term tenants who operate exclusively from NCS and consider it home. These organizations depend on this unique space to operate their businesses and have made a long term commitment to working with us.

But this isn’t solely about providing a home for arts groups. There is much more at stake here. Our renters run the gamut of cultural and community institutions. Our facility has been used by live theatre, music, film, cultural & community advocacy, visual arts, First Nations, youth, health and business organizations. NCS serves more than just one purpose for Nanaimo.

During the 4 years that we have been open, we have fast become a cultural institution in the South End community. We see this reflected in many of the users and patrons of this theatre, and I can personally speak to this, not only within my position at the theatre, but also as a resident of the South End neighbourhood. NCS is not only my place of work, it is also the hub of my community. I know nearly all of the neighbouring residents on our block and they are happy and excited that we are there, and I talk with many of them on a regular basis about the shows and activities that are happening at the theatre.

Just in the past two months there have been two new businesses which have moved in next door to NCS, into a building that sat vacant for nearly a year, directly because of our existence. Lately, it has become a challenge to find a parking space on the street due to the hub of new activity. The neighbourhood is safer, more lively, and more active because of our presence.

The official South End Community Plan adopted by the City of Nanaimo in 2010 envisions Victoria Road as a main pedestrian thoroughfare as Nanaimo grows and the density in the downtown core increases. Our colleagues and the patrons at theatre already see this happening. There is a positive, healthy buzz on Victoria Road, and we know we are at the beginning of a turning point in the South End. If the investment is made now and we continue our long term commitment to the cultural vitality of the neighbourhood, in the next decade the South End will be a renewed, vibrant extension of our City Centre. Nanaimo Centre Stage is vital to the revitalization of the South End neighbourhood.

A venue like NCS is a place where people come together. It is a place that is accessible, and it is a place that inspires people. It is a place where dreams manifest. It is a starting point. As manager at NCS, I have had many conversations with people who have walked in the doors, who have seen the stage, who have seen the sound and lighting equipment, and the other amenities we offer the community, and have said, “You mean, I can rent this space? I could do an event here?”

YES, YOU CAN!

And I have watched those very same people go on to create incredible shows and events that bring the community together. If you have rented Nanaimo Centre Stage, if you have walked through the doors to watch a play, or hear a concert, or dance at a party, you know exactly what I am talking about and you have shared in that passion.

Is the building too run down and old to save?
Absolutely not. An initial engineering assessment done by Herold Engineering in 2008 says the building requires no seismic upgrades. In addition, the second engineering report completed by Reed Jones Christofferson in 2012 confirmed that the foundation of the building is solid and in good repair.

Initial upgrades to the building in 2008 brought the building up to Building Code regulations, improving wheelchair accessibility, fire and safety requirements. Since CVI Centre for the Arts-Nanaimo has held the License of Use for the building, we have invested over $50,000 in interior building upgrades. These include the purchase of a new fuel-efficient heating system, interior renovations, re-carpeting, painting and other minor cosmetic repairs. In all of our repairs we have not encountered any major issues with the interior structures of the building, and many of our renovations and upgrades have come in under budget. We have plans to install a proper dance floor in front of the stage, upgrade the washroom facilities, and make a few more minor interior repairs, but most of the building is in good to excellent condition and requires no major repairs or renovations. It is just the exterior of the building that needs attention.

Can’t we just put the money toward a new theatre?
Nanaimo Centre Stage was not built in a day, or even a few years. Before we even opened our doors in December 2008, it took years of planning, meetings, feasibility studies, and searching to find an appropriate location. Knowing the cost of a new small, rehearsal and performance space, we had to wait for the opportunity to acquire a suitable existing space, and working with the City, the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership Society, and many of the local arts organizations and patrons, this was achieved with the building at 25 Victoria Road. It has taken nearly a decade of work by many, many hands and minds to make NCS what it is today. It would take years, possibly a decade or more, and possibly a few million dollars more to re-establish something similar. Nanaimo, the arts & culture community and the South End community would be without an integral cultural institution for many years to come.

Does the City really need to spend over $800,000 to save NCS?
Not necessarily. The current report presented to Council is a black and white scenario; either approve $800,000 over 5 years or sell the building. As we all know, artists don’t think in black and white, we prefer colour. We are innovative problem solvers and look at a wide range of solutions, and we are experts at adapting and acquiring resources to create our work. Over the next little while, we will be exploring whether there are alternatives to the scenario presented to Council. Many of our supporters have already offered suggestions.

There may be capital improvement grants available and public fundraising is definitely an option to cover a portion of the repair and improvement costs.

What can I do to help and get involved?

Write a letter of support to City Council with copy addressed to CAN and let them know how NCS has impacted your life and made a difference in your community. Council email addresses can be found on the City of Nanaimo website here: http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/municipal/city-council/CityCouncil.html and you can send a copy to the CAN office at manager@centrefortheartsnanaimo.org.
Please be kind, respectful, and factual with your message.

Spread the word! Please share this notice with your friends, family, colleagues, and community contacts and encourage them to contact city council and voice their support. If you have a blog or a website, please consider reposting this message or linking to it.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to send an email to the CAN office about this topic. Investing in Nanaimo Centre Stage is much more than providing money to a single building that will support a handful of people. CAN created Nanaimo Centre Stage because of a recognized need in the community to provide a small, affordable performance facility, and our many renters and patrons have proved in just a very short few years that it was a worthwhile endeavour. Thousands of people in the community have benefited from our presence. Nanaimo, the South End community, Downtown Nanaimo, and the Nanaimo arts and cultural community have been tremendously enriched by our existence.

With many thanks and hopes for our continued success,

Aaramë Robillard, Manager and the CAN Board of Directors
Nanaimo Centre Stage
CVI Centre for the Arts Nanaimo
manager@centrefortheartsnanaimo.org
www.centrefortheartsnanaimo.org
www.nanaimocentrestage.org

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead

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