Long-awaited plans for a theatre at StellyB次元官网网址檚 were finally revealed at a luncheon at the Brentwood Bay resort on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Two theatre options, one at 400 seats and the other at 650, were revealed with their expected costs: $22.5 and $24 million, respectively.

Architect Terence Williams considered acoustics, sightlines and a sense of intimacy from the start, but B次元官网网址渋n this case, Ron [Broda] and Jan Heinrichs and the committee said, B次元官网网址榯hatB次元官网网址檚 not good enough.B次元官网网址� They said, B次元官网网址榳e want excellent acoustics, excellent sightlines and a supreme sense of intimacy.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Williams was the architect behind UVicB次元官网网址檚 Farquhar Auditorium and the Port Theatre in Nanaimo. He also converted the former Metropolitan United Church into the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The other architectural firm, HCMA, was responsible for the Dave Dunnet Theatre at Oak Bay High, which itself was partly inspired by the Port Theatre that Williams designed,.

Broda gave Williams a list of features that they wanted after touring some Island facilities. Broda said the original design concept was more similar to Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 theatre, which is 433 seats, but Broda felt that B次元官网网址渋t really wasnB次元官网网址檛 the answer,B次元官网网址� so with some money left over, he made B次元官网网址渁n executive decisionB次元官网网址� asked the consultants to give advice on the effect of a larger option, which is unusual for theatres of a similar size. The consultant, Hamilton McClymont, recommended the smaller option due to the extra cost and acoustic challenges of the larger option. However, Broda noted that B次元官网网址渢here is a real gap in the market.B次元官网网址� and was excited that for only 10 per cent more capital, the theatre would have 62.5 per cent more capacity.

B次元官网网址淭here is not another theatre other than the Royal or the Mac [McPherson Theatre] that are in that range. Everything else is 400 or less. So I think that the 650 is a home run,B次元官网网址� said Broda.

The design is at the conceptual stage, and the exterior design of the building has not been finalized. Current drawings show the building with a green exterior to match the existing green of StellyB次元官网网址檚 Secondary, but Broda was envisioning something B次元官网网址渕ore West Coast-ish, with more natural wood, and hopefully incorporating some of the four First Nations in our neighbourhood.B次元官网网址�

BrodaB次元官网网址檚 three daughters all went to StellyB次元官网网址檚 and heB次元官网网址檚 been involved as a parent volunteer for over 20 years at the parent advisory council level, and is passionate about arts education, which he said is B次元官网网址渘ot just an extra, but essential.B次元官网网址�

There is still much work to do before the theatre is actually built. McClymont recommended a non-profit society be formed to manage the theatre in co-operation with the district of Central Saanich. Broda said heB次元官网网址檚 been B次元官网网址渂ending the ear of every politician I can talk to,B次元官网网址� with more meetings ahead, but he is looking for one key financial partner which he calls an B次元官网网址渁ngel donor,B次元官网网址� to make the theatre possible.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com
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