Why Not Windsor?

By Alan Halbersadt
AlanHalberstadt.com

St. Catharines’ to spruce up downtown with performing arts school, theatre.

MICHAEL POSNER From Monday's Globe and Mail Published Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 9:40PM ESTIn a novel attempt to resurrect its economic fortunes, hard-luck St. Catharines, Ont. has chosen Toronto’s Diamond and Schmitt Architects to build a new $94-million performing arts school and theatre complex in the heart of its decaying downtown.

What’s unusual about the rejuvenation project is that it’s being done in tandem with one of the city’s major institutional citizens – Brock University.

If everything goes well, Brock will move its Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts – 500 students and faculty members – from its main campus at the city’s south end to a retrofitted Canada Hair Cloth building on historic St. Paul Street in April, 2014. The historic textile factory, built in 1882, closed in 2007.

At the same time, just up the hill, the new, 150,000 sq. ft., multi-venue St. Catharines Centre for the Performing Arts will open. In addition to a 700-seat main theatre, the plan includes a 300-seat recital and rehearsal hall, a 200-seat cinema, and a 300-seat community dance studio. Brock also intends to move its entire commercial theatre program, about 60 events each year, to the new downtown main stage.
Diamond and Schmitt won the design competition for both projects.

The city government has been assembling land near the southwest corner of St. Paul and Carlisle Streets for a few years. To finance construction, Ottawa and Queen’s Park are jointly providing $36-million for the $54-million Performing Arts Centre, while the Ontario government is contributing $26.2-million to the 104,000 sq. ft. Walker School, which has a construction budget of $39.6-million. To cover its share, Brock University aims to raise about $20-million through its current capital campaign.