Concept design of Greater Vernon Cultural Centre (image courtesy of the RDNO)

By Pete McIntyre

$1 million contract

Greater Vernon Cultural Centre to move to detailed designs

Feb 22, 2024 | 12:00 PM

Local politicians have given the green light to move forward with the next phase of the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre.

At a special meeting on Feb. 21, members of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC) unanimously agreed to proceed to detailed designs for the proposed facility which requires a committment of $1 million. GVAC’s recommendation was approved by the Regional District of North Okanagan board of directors later that day.

“It was moved that it be accepted with the source of funding being from the Canada Culture Spaces grant, so there is an application in for that agency. They cover this kind of thing. That’s why we’re applying for this grant,” Bob Fleming, GVAC chair told Vernon Matters.

Fleming said if the $41.9 million centre did not proceed for whatever reason, the design work would be funded by RDNO cultural function reserves.

Fleming said there is some financial risk if the project doesn’t actually move to the construction phase, scheduled for the fall of 2025.

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“Yes, I would say that’s true, and the committee decided to accept that risk and keep the project moving,” Fleming commented.

The design project will be undertaken by Revery Architecture, the Vancouver company that completed the preliminary design and costing work for the centre that will house the Vernon Public Art Gallery, part of the Greater Vernon Museum and a performance stage at a site next to the Elks Lodge in downtown Vernon.

The firm will be tasked with completing design development and related work, including pre-construction costing, geotechnical and environmental assessments.

“The design work completed by Revery Architecture has produced a Class C cost estimate for a 31,000 square foot Greater Vernon Cultural Centre,” a report to the committee from Tannis Nelson, RDNO’s manager of culture and community services, stated. “The $41.9 million project cost includes land, design, soft costs, borrowing fees, and construction costs.”

The RDNO has $28 million secured through borrowing, and another $13.9 million is being sought through a fundraising campaign including senior level government grants, foundation contributions, and community fundraising.

“The RDNO and its fundraising partners aim to have the remainder of the required funding by July 2024 to meet the target construction start date of September 2025,” Nelson said.

Akbal Mund, vice-chair of GVAC and a Vernon councillor, said there was very little discussion about whether to proceed with the detailed designs.

“We’ve had these discussions in meetings before. Everybody at the board wants to see the project move forward. That’s what the referendum had told everybody: let’s move forward with this project,” Mund told Vernon Matters.

Mund admits the costs have ballooned, as have all projects.

“But we’ve got to get on this before we sit another three or four years and the price doubles,” Mund said.

The regional district will be applying for a Heritage Canada grant which could cover some of the design and professional fees.

“If the grant application is successful, it could potentially fund 50 per cent of the total design, construction administration and sub-consultants fees incurred following the date of application, which are estimated at $2.5 million and thus equates to a $1.25 million grant,” Nelson said in her report.

In May 2022, Greater Vernon residents approved borrowing up to $28 million for the centre in an alternative approval process. That figure was up from the original $25 million approved in a referendum in November 2018.