[BCMA] Fwd: CMA Clip Serv: New North Van locations for Gallery, Museum?

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

*North Vancouver city staff to begin working with*
*gallery, museum on new waterfront locations*
Sean Kolenko, North Shore Outlook, Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Although still far from a complete picture, the North Vancouver 
waterfront puzzle became a little clearer after city council's last 
meeting on May 7.

In a unanimous decision, council voted to have staff begin working on 
five different areas: the Cates Tugs building as a new home for the 
Presentation House Gallery; environmental remediation and deck 
replacement at the foot of Lonsdale; marketing the former Coppersmith 
Shop to potential commercial tenants; working with
the North Vancouver Museum and Archives on making the Pipe Shop its new 
home; and establishing a public process for the potential uses of the 
former National Maritime Centre plot.

A basket of directions, to be sure, but much of the list --- in 
particular the new addresses of the gallery and museum --- has been 
debated by council for the past few months.

In March, Presentation House Gallery staff appeared before council with 
representatives from KCI Ketchum Canada, a national consulting firm that 
specializes in fundraising initiatives, to discuss the gallery's ability 
to coordinate a $12-million fundraising campaign.
The $12 million, it was said, included the cost of retrofitting the 
Cates Tugs building or a building of similar size, and operating money 
for after the move.

Staff from KCI were clear in their assessment at the time: the gallery 
could succeed in raising enough money if the city were able to decide on 
a waterfront site, there was confirmation of city funds to help with the 
move and that gallery staff could begin raising money quickly as donor 
interests can change over time.

Council's most recent decision cements the site. The next step, said 
gallery director Reid Shier, is to know how much the city is willing to 
pledge. During KCI's presentation, a contribution of between $2.5- $3.5 
million from the municipality was outlined.

"We are immensely, immensely grateful for the decision," said Shier.
"This is the culmination of a lot of work from city staff and my 
predecessors and a lot of board members at the gallery."

In its 10-year capital plan, the city has earmarked $2.5 million for the 
gallery and, prior to it being re-routed into the city's community 
amenity fund, developer Wesgroup had pledged $1 million to the gallery 
in exchange for the added density its project at 13th Street and 
Lonsdale Avenue received. The $1 million from Wesgroup has no 
decided-upon target and could still go to the gallery if council so 
decided.

And while a cheque from city coffers is critical to the gallery's 
fundraising future --- donors, Shier said, are more likely to give money 
to something the city has shown a financial commitment to --- one 
councillor remains unwilling to "gamble" with any money before gallery 
staff can show they've raised some funds.

"They have part of what they need. The Cates building is theirs but 
that's as far as I'm willing to go," Coun. Rod Clark told The Outlook.
"It's show-me time. Quite honestly, I question the numbers they're 
throwing around. So, they [gallery staff] will have to indicate they 
have the support of /x /millions of dollars before I could agree to add 
to it."

A fundraising drive of this magnitude could be a three or four-year 
exercise, said Shier, who hopes to begin working on the campaign in 
early July. If it takes longer --- into next year, Shier hypothesized 
--- to hear from the city about a potential cash injection then the 
gallery may have to embark on another fundraising study.

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