Kamloops This Week May 1, 2014

Page 1

THURSDAY

K A M L O O P S

THIS WEEK

Thursday, May 1, 2014 X Volume 27 No. 50 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands

HOTEL 540 PITCHES PERFORMING-ARTS CENTRE By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER

andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com

The former Kamloops Daily News site has some competition in the race to house a new performing-arts centre in the city. Mayor Peter Milobar said a consultant the city will hire later this year will consider three sites for the new performance space: The former Daily News lot on Seymour Street, the Henry Grube Education Centre on the North Shore and the current home of Lake City Casino, next to Hotel 540 on Victoria Street. Hotel 540 threw its hat in the ring on Wednesday, April 30, offering up a first look at what the centre might look like were it to rise on the 500-block of Victoria Street.

Renderings show what a performing-arts centre adjacent to Hotel 540 downtown may look like, inside and out. Hotel owner National Hospitality Group has unveiled a proposal to add an arts centre and 360-stall parkade to its property.

“At this stage, we wanted to just let the people of Kamloops know we’re here and we’re able to provide this facility in a manner that we think is going to be economically sustainable and has significant economic operational advantages,” said Rob Gritten, president of National Hospitality Group, which owns

Hotel 540. Gritten said the hotel group was approached more than a year ago by the city about putting an arts centre on its land. When Gateway Casinos gave notice it was planning to move its Lake City Casino to the former Rona site on Versatile Drive between Aberdeen and Pineview Valley, the

company hired Kasian Architecture — the architects behind Chilliwack’s performing-arts centre — to see what they could accommodate on the property. “They came back to us and said not only does this thing fit, it fits really well,” Gritten said. “There’s no compromises to the perfor-

mance of this facility. It’s exactly what you’d want to do if you were building a performingarts centre and it meets a lot of the objectives the committee had put forward.” The hotel’s concept shows a glass lobby facing Victoria Street, where the casino now sits, with the main theatre occupying what is now a parking lot east of the hotel. The centre would also take up much of the back lot facing Lansdowne Street, with the rest of the lot housing a 360stall parkade. The hotel group doesn’t own the rear parking lot, but Gritten said it has a deal with Gateway to take over ownership of that land when the casino leaves. It’s not yet clear who would own the performing-arts centre and how it would be financed.

Gateway confirms casino plans for former Rona site 500-seat amphitheatre and 400 parking spots envisioned By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER

andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com

Gateway Casinos has confirmed one of the city’s worst-kept secrets. Lake City Casino’s parent company has filed a rezoning application to permit a move of its Victoria Street operation to the former Rona building on 1555 Versatile Dr. between Aberdeen and Pineview Valley. An opening date is tentatively set for late 2015. Gateway CEO Tony Santo said the $34-million, 50,000-square-foot casino location will include more restaurants, new gambling options and an outdoor amphitheatre with more than 500 seats. “It’s not a lot more space just for gaming units,” Santo said. “It’s a lot more space really to become an entertainment facility.” Besides the new look and expanded concept, Gateway is also planning a name change. X See COMPANY A6

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