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The Community Foundation of the North Okanagan is accepting donations to put towards the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre!

The RDNO supports cultural organizations and the services provided through operating grants and grants-in-aid.

Greater Vernon Cultural Centre

The Greater Vernon Cultural Centre will be a dynamic cultural hub for the region, co-locating three important venues: the Vernon Public Art Gallery, the Greater Vernon Museum, and an intimate presentation and event space. It will also create a new experience, the cultural commons, a shared social forum where visitors can start their journey or connect with friends and neighbours. Most importantly, the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre will be the catalyst for the transformation of our community's continually growing potential. It will promote a local pride of place, and stimulate urban revitalization by inspiring all peoples to live, work, and play downtown.

The Cultural Centre will provide the foundation for bringing together our region's many communities and territories. It will energize our downtown with live performances, and public gatherings, and will attract world-class exhibitions. The many people and activities that will animate the Cultural Centre will flow indoors and out, activating the site and building throughout all four seasons.

VISION

The Greater Vernon Cultural Centre is an Okanagan landmark that promotes arts and heritage, brings our many communities together, and is an active heart for downtown and beyond.

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Background

The need for a new cultural centre was identified through the Greater Vernon Cultural Plan, 2016. Planning was conducted on the initial design of a facility that would house the museum, art gallery, and small presentation space and on October 20, 2018, Greater Vernon voters were asked if they would support borrowing up to $25 million for the purposes of constructing a new, multi-purpose cultural centre in downtown Vernon. Support was given, and the success of the referendum determined the ability to move forward with grant applications and fundraising to raise the additional $15 million required to complete the $40 million project.

Since the referendum passed, the RDNO applied for several grants but was not successful. Given the amount of time that had passed and the changing economic climate, the Project was reviewed and several key changes took place:
- The size of the building was reduced from 45,000 ft² to 31,000 ft², made possible by maximizing useable space in the building and keeping the archives in its current location.
- The construction cost was decreased because of the smaller size; however,
- the construction cost per square foot increased due to higher-than-expected cost escalation.
As a result of the project and budget changes, the RDNO Board of Directors sought approval from the public for borrowing of $28 million to fund the construction of the cultural centre through an Alternate Approval Process (AAP), and approval of the electors was received on Monday, May 2, 2022 at 4:00 pm.

The RDNO hired Revery Architecture in Fall 2022 to lead the design of the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre aiming to maximize the efficiency and square footage of the building while creating an architecturally interesting and achievable design. Due to the challenging construction market, the process of determining the right size went through several iterations to strike the right balance between the size of the facility, a budget that had reasonable funding confidence, and the needs of the community and tenant organizations. Once this balance was found, the design was developed in greater detail (from Class D to Class C) to provide the project with greater cost certainty than past estimates.

Class C Project Cost

The Class C project cost of $46 million will construct approximately 31,000 square feet of new indoor community space with an outdoor plaza space of approximately 8,500 square feet. The cost estimate includes land, design, soft costs, building, equipment, and site development.

Project Funding

The RDNO has $28 million secured through long-term borrowing, and $5 million through municipal contributions, grants, and fundraising. The remaining $13 million is being sought through grants and fundraising, backstopped by RDNO reserves / short-term borrowing.

The estimated cost impact to the average household in Greater Vernon (average land and improvement value of $757,000) for the approved long-term borrowing of $28 million for the project is $57 per household for 20 years. Based on the approved use of up to $13 million, funded from a combination of reserves and short-term borrowing, the resulting impact is an additional $28 per household for the first 8 years and then $57 for the next 15 years. The approved use of up to $13 million in reserves/short-term borrowing extends the term of project funding from 20 years to 23 years, helping to mitigate the financial impact to the taxpayer by extending costs over time (smaller payments but over three more years). This impact will be further reduced through secured grant funding and donations.

Project Timeline

2024/2025 - Project Design, 2025-2027/28 - Project Site Prep/Construction
Location

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Design Elements

Energy Efficiency: The current design has incorporated energy-efficient design features such as an insulated structure, triple-glazed curtain walls, concrete with recycled aggregate, and LED lighting. As the design is developed in more detail it will incorporate specialized design elements required to be Net-Zero Energy Ready.

Archives Connection: The current archives vault was purpose-built and can continue serving the community in its current location. With the archives remaining across the street, the new museum in the Cultural Center will host online research hubs where staff and visitors can search the archives remotely.

Parking: There are 18 surface parking spots planned for the project site, and the City of Vernon is in the process of identifying new parking to offset the loss of the remaining spots.

Accessibility: The building will be fully accessible, with accessible parking, power-operated doors, accessible paths of travel (turning spaces, doorways, ramps), elevators for both the building and events space, signage, and inclusive washrooms with full-sized changing space and space for caregivers.
The Greater Vernon Cultural Centre will have a profound positive impact on individuals, communities, and the three participating cultural institutions.
An estimated 12% of the population identify as artists, or approximately 6,200 people in Greater Vernon alone. The Cultural Centre will be the catalyst to strengthen community relationships by enabling different forms of creative expression and providing fresh opportunities to display and experience relevant and meaningful content.
The Cultural Centre can also be the impetus for public art. It will increase the vibrancy of the streetscape through multi-seasonal festivals, weekend street events and outdoor art installations, all of which will attract a broad range of people and age groups.
Greater Vernon is located on the unceded territory of the Syilx (Okanagan) peoples. The inclusion of arts and culture programming that respects both Indigenous approaches and western worldviews will work to foster awareness and mutual understanding between peoples of different cultural backgrounds.
The Greater Vernon region has a vibrant arts and culture scene, and the Cultural Centre will be a pivotal enhancement to it. There are 6,200 artists in Greater Vernon, more than 8,600 practicing artists in the North Okanagan, and more than 70 arts and culture organizations. The new Cultural Centre will leverage this strength by bringing together three significant cultural venues together under one roof, helping each to become more economically impactful and sustainable. The Cultural Centre will enrich visitor stays, expand program and education offerings, add jobs, and complement other popular tourist attractions like the Okanagan Rail Trail. The cumulative impact of the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre will be even greater than the sum of its individual parts.