Fredericton hires Toronto firm to design performing arts centre

The City of Fredericton is moving forward with its plans for a performing arts centre to replace the Playhouse.

Council voted to approve $1.1 million to hire Toronto firm Diamond Schmitt Architects to begin the design process, the firm will lead a team of other architect firms and consultantsin Fredericton and Halifax.

"We've been at this for a long time," said Mayor Mike O'Brien. "We've done extreme diligence on the process. We have the fiscal capacity and resilience to be able to take this on because of decades of good stewardship of the public purse. And it's a piece of infrastructure that needs to be replaced."

A replacement for the ailing Playhouse has been one of the city's top priorities for several years, but the plan has struggled to attract funding from other levels of government.

Several councillors raised concerns about approving the move without other funding partners on board but only Deputy Mayor Stephen Hicks voted against the resolution.

"We started down this road six years ago those six years we've heard nothing but crickets, haven't heard anything about potential support," Hicks said during the meeting.

Neither the provincial nor the federal governments have come forward to support the performing arts centre.
But upon seeing the conceptual designs for the building, even a few councillors called themselves "converts" to the project.

"I think we have to dream, and dream big," said Coun. Stephen Chase.

Councillors said having the conceptual designs (which are not final), will help distinguish the project and attract funding.

Coun. Bruce Grandy, chair of the development committee, said the design process will take about a year.

"There's going to have to be an injection of stimulus in the economy to bring the economies back [after the pandemic]," he said. "To bring those industries back, such as the restaurants and hotels, airlines and travel, there's going to be a lot of stimulus required to bring our economy back into shape."

The city will also appoint an "owner's representative" on the project, a professional to help give guidance throughout the process.

"Recognizing that this isn't the kind of building that we build, this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of build," said Ken Forrest, director of planning and development.

"It's making sure we have an appropriately trained expert to supervise the process and make sure we're getting good value."

The Playhouse was built in 1964, and the city took over ownership in 2000. Several studies have shown the building is at its end of life.