Playhouse to be replaced by performing arts centre
July 14, 2015
A recent two-year feasibility study presents the conclusion that the landmark Fredericton Playhouse needs to be replaced by a brand new performing arts centre. The report was commissioned by the City of Fredericton and Fredericton Playhouse Inc., a nonprofit organization managing the current playhouse, and it found that updating the existing structure to bring it in line with today's building and safety codes would be a multi-million-dollar undertaking.
Instead, the report recommends that a better option would be to construct a new building with two major performance arts venues. Sharing lobbies, amenities, and backstage functions, one venue would be able to accommodate an audience of up to 850 and the second would consist of a flexible performance space with a capacity for 300 people. The new building would be 71,741 sq. ft. in size and could provide a wider variety of possible uses than the existing Playhouse, which first opened in the 1960s.
The new performance arts centre will be located in Fredericton's downtown core and cost an estimated $40 million. Construction is slated to begin in 2018.
As part of its development plans for the city, Fredericton City Council had already identified performing arts infrastructure as a priority for future investment and determined that the replacement of the Playhouse would better meet the needs of both audiences and the arts community. A previous study noted that a performing arts centre would also serve the city's broader goals of promoting arts and culture in Fredericton.
Other levels of government in addition to the private sector would need to invest in the project. A major fundraising campaign has also been planned. Fredericton mayor Brad Woodside stated: "Now is the time to engage other partners to move it forward. This is a project that has the potential to make a real statement about our community's position as a creative, dynamic place to live and do business."
Once the new performance arts centre is completed, the Fredericton Playhouse will be decommissioned. Fredericton's City Centre Plan will influence its fate, but it could be part of a public or private development that may or may not retain the existing building.
Photos by: Will Beatty
About Christine Purfield
Christine Purfield traded numbers for words when she gave up the dizzy heights of finance and accounting to become a freelance writer. She can usually be found writing, knitting, or avoiding housework. If you can't find her, she's travelling.