The Studio 2880 redevelopment will be a team effort.
At this week’s meeting, Prince George City Council received a presentation from the Prince George and District Community Arts Council, reflecting on the past of Studio 2880, as well as the future of the building.
At Council’s last meeting held on May 25, City Council gave final reading and adopted a zoning amendment for the property at Studio 2880. This will allow for the development of a six-storey, 45-unit apartment building, with a site-specific text amendment in the zone allowing Studio 2880 to continue to operate at the property as well.
“As the City moves forward with the redevelopment discussions surrounding the Studio 2880 site, we wanted to take a few moments tonight to reflect not only on the history of the site, but also what its future could look like through continued collaboration between the City and the arts community,” said Community Arts Council Executive Director Shelby Richardson. “The Community Arts Council has stewarded and animated this site for decades in service of the public good. As redevelopment moves forward, we believe the next phase of this site should build upon that legacy, and not erase it.”
“We believe it is important to recognize that this site has long carried a public cultural purpose within Prince George, and that redevelopment presents an opportunity to continue and strengthen that legacy into the future,” added President Margaret Jones-Bricker.
Included in the Community Arts Council’s presentation were two recommendations for Council Consideration.
The first was to direct staff to work collaboratively with the Community Arts Council to develop a Memorandum of Understanding related to the development of the Studio 2880 site.
The second recommendation was to direct staff to explore opportunities for proceeds associated with the redevelopment to continue supporting long-term arts and cultural infrastructure in Prince George, including the potential development of a cultural reinvestment fund, endowment or future Cultural Spaces initiative.
“We believe this redevelopment presents an opportunity not only to reimagine a site, but to think more broadly about the long-term sustainability of arts and cultural infrastructure within our community,” Richardson said. “These recommendations are ultimately about collaboration, continuity, transparency, and ensuring that the public cultural value associated with this site continues into the future.”
Councillor Kyle Sampson suggested a tweak for the first motion.
Instead, he put forward:
“That Council directs administration to engage collaboratively with the Community Arts Council of Prince George and District throughout future planning and redevelopment discussions related to the Studio 2880 site, with the objective of supporting their long-term continuation of arts and culture programming within the civic core and on that site.”
Richardson and Jones-Bricker welcomed the suggestion, as did City Administration.
City Council approved the motion suggested by Sampson, as well as the second motion presented by the Community Arts Council.
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