The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is urging its members to vote in favour of the proposed Centre for the Arts downtown.
Calling it a strong proposal with good private backing, Chamber President Joshua Knaak says the facility will help businesses attract people from out of town to Kamloops for work.
“Our members are competing for talent with other municipalities like Kelowna and Prince George, and Nanaimo and really even Vancouver,” he told NL News. “So we see an investment like a Performing Arts Centre like this as something that really enhances the livability, the culture, the attractiveness of our city.”
In a letter to Mayor Ken Christian, Knaak says the economic impacts both during and after construction also makes the Centre of the Arts an important project for Kamloops. There will be 565 jobs created during construction, with a further 31 direct or indirect jobs to follow from the Arts Centre project, along with $2.9 million in annual economic benefits to city.
“I think what we are seeing now is obviously a much more advanced proposal, a more advanced business case and one that we as a chamber feels is a step in the right direction,” he added. “The timing of this proposal allows for one loan payment to roll off to be replaced with payment on a brand new asset. And I think that’s smart. That’s good fiscal management.”
He says the Chamber is pleased with how the Centre for the Arts Society has been reaching out to residents and businesses in the city.
“Rather than just trying to sell a yes vote, they’re trying to get information out there and they’re providing that information in a lot of different venues,” Knaak noted. “We will certainly work with them to help get that information out to our membership and everybody obviously is going to make a decision [at the referendum].”
The referendum on whether or not the city can borrow $45-million towards the $70-million project is set for April 4. The rest of the money will come from fundraising as well as grants from other levels of government.
Read Board President @JoshuaKnaak‘s letter of support for the upcoming Kamloops Centre for the Arts project. #KamBiz pic.twitter.com/009XqYnboH
— Kamloops Chamber (@KamloopsChamber) February 10, 2020
