It’s no secret that the Khyber ICA and HRM have endured a rocky relationship, but today feels like the beginning of a whole new love affair, or the most passive-aggressive Sid and Nancy-style punch-up around.
Today, And Still Counting an exhibition of paintings by Garry Neill Kennedy, in collaboration with the Khyber, opens at City Hall. You might remember his numbered paintings, which played on city landmarks and politics, that lived in the windows of the Khyber building last spring during renovations.
Is it a coincidence that on the day of the exhibition opening, the city released a draft report on the potential operating scenarios for the Khyber building? Prepared by the Toronto consultants, TCI Management, you can take a look for yourself at http://www.halifax.ca/crca/FeasibilityReport.html. Copies are also available at the Bloomfield Centre, the Khyber or by calling 490-4083.
Admittedly all those numbers and scenarios are going to take awhile to digest—-the biggest restoration and construction expense is the inclusion of an elevator for accessibility purposes—-but the one positive thing I took was that the majority of people interviewed for the report are united in thinking that the building is under-utilized and should be maintained somehow for cultural purposes.
But I do have to wonder about the page-sized, full-colour photos selected for the report: a small cluttered storage area, the well-worn staircase, a grotty wall streaked with graffiti (I have no clue even where this is). Where are the photos of the Ballroom Gallery and those gorgeous mouldings? Of crowds of people participating in concerts, art performances and openings? How about art? If I had never been in this building, and this was all the visual evidence I received, I’m not sure that I’d be as interested in preserving the space as an arts centre.
So now it’s your turn to get involved. Read the document then take part in public information sessions on December 9 (1-3pm or 6:30pm-8:30pm) at the Bloomfield Centre. Results from these public sessions will feed into the consultants’ final report and recommendations to council, so if you care anything about culture, heritage, or the future of Barrington Street, read and participate.
Related Stories
Khyber building plan goes to council tonight
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2009.
Who’s on the board at the Khyber nowadays? There certainly has been a lot more going on there this past year all things considered.
The city should not be buying and investing in buildings only to rent them to groups like Khyber at sub-market rents. That building needs to come down along with the eyesores next to it, and something put in there that will attract people other than panhandlers.
Bo Gus:
“attract people other than panhandlers”?? On one side is the Neptune Theatre school, the other side has a retail cd business, where are the panhandlers in there? I doubt putting up a new structure would get rid of panhandlers on the street out front.
As for being eyesores, well, the cd building is not very attractive and could use some remodelling, however the Khyber is a beautiful victorian gothic structure, and the Neptune school is one of the oldest buildings on the street, a wonderful example of Second Empire style. If you think they’re ugly, I shudder to think what you see as a beautiful building. Are you one of those people that think all historical buildings should be demolished? Yes, let’s put glass and steel highrises everywhere. Make us look like every other ugly city that didn’t have the sense to recognize their heritage before it was too late.
I agree, tear it down and build a nice, new, modern looking building.
Tear it down and put up a building that LOOKS like the old building, but is nice and new and useful. The buildings on that block now are hideous and falling down.
God, the way the factioned line in this city it would be cheaper to keep in up and repair it than start a fight with the Heritage folks (they actually have their offices there I believe). Investment in this space is for the purpose of procuring a shared space in Halifax for non-profits and arts based organizations and can’t all be built around the metrics of money. It is important that we support the arts and this is the building, in the right location to do it.
The city owns and manages it, the arts societies keep to their mandate to enrichen our lives…
HRM is facing a $30 million deficit next year and has a huge problem spending too much of the taxpayers money. They have no business taking some of that money, putting it into this ugly and decrepit old firetrap, and then renting it to outfits like the Khyber and the Heritage Trust at a loss. Tear the thing down and sell the property.
There are some major arts organizations were not consulted through this process that actually have the staffing to undertake the running of such a project. At present KAS is facing financial difficulty that would make it very difficult for them to hire the necessary staff.
The opportunity to truly create an arts facility that can work long term requires all parties to be consulted. At very minimum the city should open it up to RFP’s from other cultural organizations.
This ‘report’ is a one sided argument that falls very short of providing any viable option for council.
It’ll be interesting when it actually goes to vote.
Exhibit A, one of the scenarios (I think, E) presented does include a scenario where another arts organization, other than KAS, runs the facility, either with or without them as tenants. I think I’m most nervous about council picking the invisible scenario F: making a capital investment with the renovations and then selling the building as commercial space.
Regardless of opinion, I’m hoping that lots of people fill out the survey: http://halifax.ca/crca/feasibilityreport.h…