City of Vancouver is sitting on a $31 million unused fund for a concert hall

City of Vancouver is sitting on a $31 million unused fund dedicated for building a concert hall

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, designed by Frank Gehry, is an example of a lyrical concert hall. (Shutterstock)

Before the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre was built in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, there was a plan to use this prominent Coal Harbour waterfront site at Burrand Landing for a new purpose-built concert hall or a performing arts centre.

In the early 1990s, Vancouver City Council approved a plan to build a mid-sized “lyric concert hall” with excellent acoustics as its highest cultural facility priority.

The so-called Civic Arts Complex, featuring a 1,500-seat concert hall located at Burrard Landing, was intended to complement, not replace, the municipal government’s existing Civic Theatre venues of the Orpheum Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and the Playhouse. A lyric concert hall would have superior acoustics, with an interior auditorium design closer to venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles than the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, for example.

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All the while, in 1993, the municipal government secured $7.5 million in cash community amenity contributions (CACs) towards the project from Marathon Realty in exchange for the rezoning for their neighbouring condominium developments.

When the municipal government transferred the City-owned property to the provincial government for the construction of the convention centre in 2003, a further cash contribution was secured. These funds were put into an interest-bearing reserve.

During the early stages of the planning process for the convention centre expansion, there was an attempt to co-locate the concert hall with the new convention centre building, with the concert hall situated roughly where Jack Poole Plaza and the Cactus Club restaurant building are built today. But the co-location concept fell apart due to a variety of reasons, including challenges with fitting the many different convention centre uses on the site and the higher project cost during a time when Olympic-related costs were given greater scrutiny.

vancouver convention centre expansion design

Artistic rendering of the original conceptual design of the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, with the Civic Arts Complex (concert hall) depicted on the far right as a standalone building. (Government of BC)

Model of a later conceptual design of the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, with the Civic Arts Complex (concert hall) depicted as standalone building next to where Jack Poole Plaza is today. (Government of BC)

In 2005, the municipal government identified the City-owned Larwill city block, used as a surface parking lot, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of West Georgia Street and Cambie Street, as the site of the Civic Art Complex and the National Gallery of Contemporary Aboriginal Art. By then, the value of the fund in the reserve had grown to $19 million.

But in 2013, the City decided to set aside this site for the new home of the Vancouver Art Gallery. At this juncture, the value of the reserve reached roughly $23 million.

Needless to say, the priority of building a concert hall faded away with the changes in political leadership and priorities over the decades. But the fund, held within the ever-growing interest-bearing reserve, still exists.

Upon inquiry, the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive Urbanized the fund has now grown to about $30.7 million as of 2023.

City staff stated that in order “to best address the cultural infrastructure needs of the City,” they are exploring studies and proposals for the use of the funds while consulting with interest groups from the arts community. They cited the City’s 2019-approved Make Space for Arts & Culture strategy, suggesting that the intention is to align the use of the funds as much as possible with the spirit of the original project.

Orpheum Theatre. (Vancouver Civic Theatres)

Amongst the many components and objectives listed in the strategy, some of the largest targets are major reinvestments into existing Civic Theatres venues, specifically the Orpheum and the Playhouse theatres. Earlier this year, the City indicated it would be conducting a feasibility study on substantial renovations and improvements to the Orpheum Theatre, including seismic upgrades, the replacement of building systems, accessibility and washroom upgrades, acoustic improvements, back-of-house and front-of-house upgrades, and a redesigned Smithe Street entrance and facade.

The funds could be used for meaningful upgrades to existing venues but would most certainly be far from sufficient for building a concert hall. Given the current market costs, the current value of the fund would likely only be sufficient for design and planning work and some site preparation — and that is only if the need for acquiring land is not a factor.

The City’s most recent major reinvestment into its Civic Theatres portfolio was the 2009-completed renovation of the 2,800-seat Queen Elizabeth Theatre at a cost of $45 million.

Although Vancouver has gained smaller performing arts venues in recent decades, such as the BMO Theatre Centre in the Olympic Village and the Orpheum Annex, it has lost some major indoor venues.

The historic 1907-built Pantages Theatre on Hastings Street near Main Street in the core of the Downtown Eastside was demolished after City Council’s 2008 decision to reject a restoration project. After falling into further disrepair, the 650-seat theatre was redeveloped into a building with condominiums and social housing.

the centre for the performing arts westside church vancouver

Westside Church’s The Centre for the Performing Arts. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

In 2013, The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts — immediately west of Library Square on Homer Street — was sold to Westside Church. The privately built, 1,800-seat venue opened in 1995 at a cost of about $25 million as a hub for Broadway musicals and other performances. Although it is still available for some event rentals, the primary use of the venue is a church.

However, the PNE, through the support of the City, will gain a new 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre — covered by a landmark mass timber roof — at Hastings Park for concerts and festivals. The $104 million amphitheatre will open by 2026.

As of 2022, The Centre has an assessed value of $35.4 million, with $35 million coming from the value of the land. This is up from its value of just over $10 million at the time of its sale to the church.

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