City Council makes choice on Civic Core plan

Prince George City Council has made their pick for the downtown Civic Core.

After more than two hours of debate tonight (Monday), City Council ultimately voted to procure consultant services on one of the site designs presented by the City’s Planning and Development department.

The concept plan Council chose was option two presented by the City’s Planning and Development department, which has the new arena where the current Kopar Memorial Arena is and where the old Fire Hall #1 was.

Additionally, it puts the new performing arts centre in the open space next to the Civic Centre.

Councillor Kyle Sampson put the motion on the floor, with a few additions.

Those included potentially swapping the locations of the hotel and residences in the plan.

He also wanted to include a partitioned auditorium to allow for a smaller space to be used for the performing arts centre, including a multi-purpose seating system for up to 1,400 seats to ensure the facility can be “as multi-purpose as possible.”

“I’d also like to include that the arts groups be included in this, creating more of an arts centre rather than exclusively a performing arts centre, more of an arts hub if you will,” Sampson said.

“Also with the Playhouse future being included in this, either the disposition of the lands, repurposing for municipal purposes, sale, whatever that looks like, having that piece included.”

Sampson added the seat count for the new arena should be open-ended.

“I don’t want to tie us to this 4,500 seat piece yet, I’d like to have maybe a little bit further conversation that maybe includes the Spruce Kings, the Cougars,” he said.

“I don’t think it necessarily needs ice user groups as a whole right now, we’re looking at a larger space, but then takes into consideration how we’re going to repurpose, not repurpose but compliment the services the CN Centre offers with the proposed new arena to make sure that we’re not duplicating services.”

“I understand the challenges a project like this will cost,” said Councillor Cori Ramsay.

“But it is time for our community to have access to a facility, a performing arts centre, a cultural hub so that we can grow our population.”

“Let’s not lose sight of the potential that we have to significantly change our downtown and that area and the city of Prince George for a very, very long time, in a positive, positive way,” said Councillor Ron Polillo.

“This has to be really thoughtfully considered, and it will hopefully be a phased approach and a phased construction.”

The option was not met without opposition, as Mayor Simon Yu, as well as Councillors Trudy Klassen and Brian Skakun were in opposition.

“I think we all agree that we want to see a robust plan, I’m extremely, extremely uncomfortable with the idea that this would be virtually taxpayer funded,” Klassen said.

“I think we need to do it differently, it needs to be a multi-generational plan, it needs to be one that is incremental, and one where investors go in first, because I don’t think our residents can bear the tax implications, not in a timely manner of what option one as this motion would present would be. I think it’s irresponsible of us.”

Skakun said another option presented to Council, which would be to have administration come back with another conceptual plan, would provide them with more flexibility.

“Yeah it’s long overdue, and I think we have to put our money where our mouth is and commit to something, but I think we have to do it right without pinning administration down to having exact sizes and exact numbers,” Skakun said.

Klassen later proposed an amendment adding “that Council identifies conceptual design option two, as well as Mayor Yu’s plan.”

“It would be a great loss to us if we did not consider those extended long-term benefits of having the winter city design,” Klassen said.

“I think it would be a great loss to our residents, it would be a great loss to our city if we didn’t consider something that has been thought of, as Mayor Yu was saying, for about 30 years of what we could do with our downtown.”

That amendment was defeated.

Multiple Councillors stated residents would eventually have the final say through a referendum, and City Manager Walter Babicz noted Council would make a decision on if and when a referendum would move forward on the issue.

Other items discussed tonight included a security camera pilot project, and letters of intent to bid for either the 2028 or 2030 Special Olympics Canada games.