“Due to a recent press release by the mayor of the Town of Yarmouth, Th'YARC and its directors have been inundated with phone calls and texts asking if we have agreed to move downtown on Collins Street,” Mitch Bonnar says. “We have been working hard to bring a new facility to a reality after 10 years and in keeping with good business practice it is not wise to negotiate in the public.”
Bonnar says the town has failed to call another meeting since the two sides met earlier in June.
“There has been no communication whatsoever since the last meeting,” Bonnar says. “The press release from the mayor of the Town of Yarmouth of last week suggests that Th'YARC is in agreement with their plan other than a minor governance issue that is easily resolved. This is negotiating in bad faith.
“Th'YARC has not made any agreement whatsoever with the town as of today,” he said in a June 27 statement. “Th'YARC has not agreed to move to Collins Street.”
In a June 22 media release, the town said it is excited to be moving forward in the planning process for a new arts and culture facility.
“Following a recent meeting to discuss governance with representatives of Th’YARC, it was agreed that there was plenty of common interest in the project, and the process of drafting governance requirements should proceed, without delay,” the media release read.
After a failed attempt many years ago to move forward with a new YARC – disagreement between the town and location was a stumbling block back then – Th’YARC said a year ago it had decided to once again pursue the building of a new YARC. It was looking to build a new facility on its existing location.
Yarmouth town council did approve a motion in July 2016 saying it supports the construction of a new regional arts facility in the Town of Yarmouth. But that motion did not specify a location, namely Parade Street.
At the time Bonnar, who had made a presentation to the town, said they were simply looking for a letter of support from the town so Th’YARC could move forward with the process of exploring funding options. He said an updated arts centre is needed.
In its June 22 media release the town says a new community arts and culture facility (the media release does not refer to it as a new YARC) will be located in the downtown. Three feasible downtown locations have been explored in was noted at an April stakeholders session: the Collins Street parking lot, the site of the former Odeon Theatre on Main Street and the area where the visitor information centre is on Forest Street.
The town says given its proximity to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Collins Street site presents “unique and superior possibilities.” Architect Brian MacKay Lyons, who the town has hired to come up with potential designs for a facility, also agrees the Collins Street site is the best of the downtown options.
Mayor Pam Mood said Lyons and his architecture team will be bringing their latest work forward at a stakeholders session that will take place in July for members of the arts and culture community.
“The town is committed to the artists and the arts community as a whole, to see this project through, and to engage the arts community every step of the way,” the town’s June 22 media release read.
The town says the issue of facility governance, however, is one that still needs to be worked out.
“We believe if we can come together on the governance, the concerns regarding specific location will easily resolve themselves,” read the town’s release.
However Bonnar’s statement suggests the issues might be as “easily resolved” as the town states.
“Th'YARC hopes the town will soon realize bullying and ignoring concerns from Th'YARC and the Yarmouth taxpayers is not the way to go and get serious about negotiating,” he says. “Should this fail Th'YARC has other options and is actively pursuing them.”
OTHER STORIES ON THIS ISSUE:
Th'YARC resurrecting goal of new facility in Yarmouth
Yarmouth town council wants new arts centre downtown/JANUARY 2017
Stakeholders explore downtown arts centre possibilities and opportunities
