Ward 4 resident says PAC was a mistake before it was built and is now an expensive mistake.

 

 

 

 

BURLINGTON, ON

January 24th, 2013

Dear Sir:

In the beginning there was a plan for a partnership between the city, senior levels of government and interested citizens of the city to build a Performing Arts Centre and then have it operated by a separate and independent board.   As years past the estimated cost of construction grew without any government commitment to maintain or increase their share of the costs. Private groups came forward saying they would hard to make up the difference but there were no tangible dollars put down.

As estimated costs grew without a plan to pay for them I wrote council and the Post about the financial peril of the project. Unfortunately dreams prevailed over facts and the project went ahead.

Ward 4 resident Jim Barnett says: “The mayor now says this slow start-up is normal. If it is normal, then it would have been anticipated. It is abnormal, thus the city is being asked to bail the project out. It was not that long ago the city was touting the independent board that would make handouts unnecessary.”

The business plan as presented never did have a realistic ramp up in revenues in the early years, but with out this incorrect forecast, the project might not have gone ahead. Therefore it was ignored and the praying started. Well the praying did not work and there is a substantial shortfall. Not only in 2013 but likely for some years to come.

The mayor now says this slow start-up is normal. If it is normal, then it would have been anticipated. It is abnormal, thus the city is being asked to bail the project out. It was not that long ago the city was touting the independent board that would make handouts unnecessary.

Having to hire two more people at this time again points out the flaws in the plan to date.

Let us all remember that only a small cross-section of the citizens use the facility.

When all costs are in, the pier will exceed $20 million and you will not be getting anything back in insurance.

I fear that Performing Arts Centre will also become a drain on the city’s resources, making plans for the hospital more difficult, and increasing taxes for the people who do not use the facility.

Unfortunately I do not have a solution. I hope someone can come forward with a way to save the project and prevent another embarrassment for the city.

In the meantime, I hope the city going forward gets out of the business of building structures that they do not know how construct, finance, budget or manage.

Jim Barnett

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