Massey Theatre could have been history if the city didn’t agree to own and operate the 66-year-old facility.
Coun. Bill Harper said the province had previously required the existing theatre to be demolished and a new theatre to be built in the new school, but there was a change of plans and the province asked the city if it would be interested in owning the theatre.
“It’s been my personal opinion from the very beginning that it’s always been put on our lap. We didn’t own it, we didn’t run it, we didn’t have anything to do with it. The ministry said, ‘we are going to demolish it.’ That’s when we entered into discussions about the framework agreement,” Harper said. “If we just said, ‘Forget about it; it’s not ours’, the thing would be gone. If it gets torn down, it’s a loss to the city.”
On Monday, the city announced it had developed an agreement in principle with the school district and the B.C. Ministry of Education that would see the city assuming ownership of the theatre.
Having already committed $10 million to the new theatre, Harper said the city can put that money into the existing facility over time to make seismic and other upgrades.
“They told us it would fall down in an earthquake. It had a really high level,” he noted. “They completely changed their view of that.”
Improvements that will be done to the theatre include a providing new disabled access (including a new elevator and lift), a new heating system and emergency lighting and other fire/life-safety systems, refurbishing the lobby and washrooms, painting interior areas and doing removal and abatement of asbestos and materials and finishes containing lead.
