It is his intention—and we enthusiastically agree—to put the restored facility into the hands of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. This will guarantee sound operation and rental agreements affordable by local arts groups. It now remains for the current owner Paul Phillips and Mr. Wall to sit down together and work out an agreement acceptable to both parties. Once that is done, we can look forward to construction, not demolition. What a jewel will now be added to our community!

This is a great day for Vancouver! It clearly demonstrates that we now have a City Council that is sending a positive message of support to arts and culture groups and their audiences. Please email the mayor and members of Council with your thanks and appreciation.

Thank you for your support and help in getting this to happen.

Sincerely,
Tom Durrie
Save the York Theatre Society

Related News

Agrees to buy, renovate and hand over theatre in exchange for tower

Council is trying to help save the York Theatre, also known as The Raja Cinema. – Photograph by: Arlen Redekop, The Province

Vancouver developer Bruno Wall has offered to spend up to $12 million to buy and restore the historic York Theatre, now slated to be torn down Jan. 15 to make way for townhomes.

Wall has also offered to hand ownership to the city — in exchange for development rights equivalent to a 20-storey building, to be built on an as-yet undetermined city site.

The 500-seat theatre, opened in 1912 near the north end of Commercial Drive, was home to the Vancouver Little Theatre, where a number of local actors launched their careers. It later hosted musical acts and Bollywood films.

But it has been empty for several years. EDG Homes bought the property for $960,000 in August 2007 after being assured by city staff that there was no historical significance or interest in the theatre.

The city has approved EDG’s townhouse proposal, which is now eligible for building permits. Demolition of the theatre is legally permitted as of Jan. 15.

Yesterday, EDG’s Peter Phillips warned council that ongoing development costs and liabilities would force him to demolish the theatre and proceed with the townhouses if no deal for a sale is completed.

In March, the city’s attitude toward the site changed. The Vancouver Heritage Commission ruled that it was eligible for listing in the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Arts groups that want the theatre saved argued its restoration would provide the hub for a cultural district when combined with the nearby Vancouver East Cultural Centre and the cafes and galleries bordering Commercial Drive.

Yesterday, after learning that Wall had stepped forward with cash that arts groups and theatre fans have failed for years to raise, council agreed to offer Wall the unusual density deal to encourage him to proceed with the purchase.

Heather Redfern, director of the Vancouver Eastside Cultural Centre that would run the new theatre, applauded the move.

Redfern described the theatre as “the perfect place” — an ideal, mid-sized venue that would provide affordable space for small projections and art showings in a city where theatre space of any kind is at a premium.

cmontgomery@theprovince.com

On Thursday December 18th, 2008, at 10:00 am, City Council will consider a staff recommendation.

Council’s decision will determine the future of the York Theatre.

If Council approves the staff recommendation to grant a transfer of density to cover one-third of the restoration costs, the York Theatre will be demolished.

If Council approves the prospective buyer’s request to grant a transfer of density to cover 100% of the restoration costs, the York Theatre will be restored.

The Save the York Theatre Society is asking Council to approve a density transfer of 100% of the value of the restoration.

Our Last Opportunity

This is our last opportunity to save the York Theatre.

To register to speak at City Council this Thursday, email Denise Salmon click here.

To express your views by email to the Mayor and Council click here.

To contribute to the conversation on the Vancouver Arts and Cultures Forum use the comment box below.

The Story

The York Theatre was purchased by a developer in 2007 with the intention to demolish the building and build residential units.

The Save the York Theatre Society mobilized the community to stop the demolition and found a benefactor interested in purchasing and restoring the theatre.

The Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society expressed an interest in operating the theatre and began working with the benefactor and the City.

On September 18th, 2008, City Council placed a 120-day protection order on the York Theatre to allow the Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society to complete a Feasibility Study and Operation Plan for the York Theatre.

The benefactor agreed to purchase and pay for the complete restoration of the theatre in exchange for increased density on another site in the City. The City donates air and the community receives a fully restored theatre.

The staff report does not support this proposal. It recommends the Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society fund raise for two thirds of the restoration cost. The Society stated from the beginning they were not in a position to do any fund raising.

On January 16, the current owner will have the right to begin demolition of the York Theatre. Although staff recommends Council ask him to voluntarily postpone demolition, the owner intends to tear the building down as soon the protection order expires in mid-January 2009 and has already started dismantling the interior.

The December 18th Council meeting is our last opportunity to save the York Theatre

More Information

To read the Staff Recommendations and Report to Council on the York Theatre PDF click here

To read the call to the community which attracted the interest of a benefactor to Save the York Theatre click here

To read the History and Vision for the York Theatre click here

To read about the Need for Theatre Space in Vancouver click here

To read what Heritage Vancouver says about the York Theatre as one of the 2008 Top Ten Endangered Sites click here

To read what the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance says about the York Theatre click here

The Pantages Theatre is for Sale

The historic Pantages Theatre is at imminent risk. The Pantages is one of Vancouver’s three historic theatres that face an uncertain future.

The current owner inspired the community with his ideas to restore and reopen the Theatre. After investing three years in the project the owner has put the Theatre up for sale.

The For Sale sign means the owner and the City of Vancouver were unable to reach an agreement. This creates an opportunity to build on three years of groundwork and avoid losing the theatre to demolition or neglect.

Opportunities

• The City of Vancouver could buy and restore the theatre and operate it as a publicly owned facility.
• The City of Vancouver could buy or option the theatre and collaborate with the community to find a proposal that works.
• A new buyer with an interest in taking over the project could purchase the property.

Letter from the Pantages Theatre Arts Society
Letter from Community Arts Council of Vancouver
Letter from Heritage Vancouver

View related news

Dear Friends:

Just a quick update…

The Pantages Facebook page, organized by Steven Lee of the West End, now has 639 members, and has linked to numerous others. It’s growing virally. They are promoting a petition to Council. We understand a YouTube video is in the works.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45653505791

Our own website has received more than 3000 individual hits since 21 October, when PTAS president Peter Fairchild asked our supporters to write the Mayor and Council.

Heritage Vancouver, the Alliance for Arts and Culture, the GVPTA, CMC, CACV, and other groups have now contacted their members on our behalf, asking that they register their concern with the Mayor and Council.

On the weekend we received a visitor from NYC, in his capacity as a member of the League of Historic American Theatres. He was given a tour of the Pantages. They are deeply concerned about its destruction. More will be forthcoming.

Some 200 personal letters have now gone to City Council, asking them to re-consider, and to recognize the power of the Pantages Project to change Hastings x Main — forever.

Many writers are focusing on the power of the Pantages Project to ignite economic recovery in the 100 Block.

Others are focusing on the unique and irreplaceable value of the Pantages.

Yet others are expressing concern over the failure of the Project to realize the continuing problems of Chinatown.

Wrote Albert Fok: “This is grave news to Vancouver Chinatown and may even have dire and detrimental consequences to Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) as a whole. For more than three years, the team responsible for attempting to restore the Pantages – the only one of its kind remaining – has endeavoured to bring back the theatre’s former glory and, in doing so, offers a glimpse of hope to the revitalization of DTES.

“Many communities and groups with diverse background and cultures have actually put their differences aside and pooled each other resources together to support this project; everyone collectively strives towards a common goal of making Pantages a vital venue for theatre arts and performances which, thereby, liberates DTES from its stereotyped shady image.”

A group of Chinatown business people has organized a dinner for tomorrow night to discuss these matters. It will begin at 7pm. We will be attending, per their request.

We have drafted a full-page ad in the Sun, accounting for the failure of the Project. Marc proposes to pay for this ad. It will cost $16,000.

The next group of potential investors looking at purchasing the half-block is touring the theatre and adjacent properties at 9am this Tuesday.

None of the purchase enquiries Marc has received to date include restoring the theatre. Most involve simply holding the land for some period. One proposal comes from a party that already owns land on the block.

Since August 2005, over 2200 people have toured the theatre, and recognized its extraordinary potential.

Marc has accepted our request to re-open the theatre prior to its actual sale. Anyone with a memory and a camera will be permitted to tour it one last time.

Thanks for reading this,
Charles
www.vancouverpantages.com

P.O. Box 3336, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3Y3, (604) 254-9411

Mayor Sam Sullivan and Council
Vancouver City Hall
453 W. 12th Ave.
Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4

Dear Mayor Sullivan and Councilors,
Re: The Pantages Theatre

Heritage Vancouver has long supported the retention and restoration of Vancouver’s Pantages Theatre, the oldest remaining Pantages Theatre in North America and western Canada’s oldest vaudeville theatre.

We were very hopeful over three years ago when a reputable developer purchased the Pantages with the commitment to restore it with meticulous attention to its irreplaceable heritage value. A non-profit Pantages Theatre Arts Society was formed to manage the theatre on a long-term lease. The plan was to restore and upgrade the old Pantages to modern technical standards. This heritage gem with its superb acoustics and capacity to seat 650 was to have new lobbies a rehearsal studio, an enlarged pit and every modern amenity. In addition the restored Pantages would be an anchor in revitalizing a portion of Vancouver’s historic commercial district at Hastings and Main. It was a win/win situation for the City and the people of Vancouver.

After 38 months of working with the City to restore the Pantages, the owner was unable to come to any agreement with you and has put the theatre up for sale. It would appear that you have rejected an enormous opportunity to restore the Pantages Theatre without making public your rationale for this decision. The freeze on the Heritage Building Rehabilitation Program and the Transfer of Density program in August 2007 put an impossible strain on building owner’s ability to pay for the cost of heritage restoration. Given the current uncertainty of the HBRP and the TOD programs, we urge you to act now to ensure that the Pantages Theatre is restored.
Yours truly,

Donald Luxton, President
Heritage Vancouver

Mayor Sam Sullivan and Members of Council
Vancouver City Hall
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4

Dear Mayor Sullivan and City Councillors:

I am writing with deep concern about the future of the Pantages Theatre. The Pantages is the last remaining theatre in what was the hub of a vibrant theatre district in the early decades of the twentieth century. Not only is the Pantages an important cultural heritage treasure, the Pantages Project is an essential part of the future of a revitalized Hastings Street. Indeed, the proposed Pantages Project, consisting of the restored theatre and affordable housing, exemplifies the type of development appropriate for Hastings Street and for other parts of the Downtown Eastside.

The Pantages Project offers a needed cultural amenity in the Downtown Eastside, a community with one of the highest percentages of artists in the country and few amenities for local artists. Its planned operation by the Pantages Theatre Arts Society places an emphasis on providing a home for key resident companies, local arts groups that offer outstanding artistic expression and are dedicated to the cultural and artistic development of the Downtown Eastside community. One of the proposed resident companies, Vancouver Moving Theatre, will be the recipient next week of the City of Vancouver’s 2008 Cultural Harmony Award.

Throughout our 63-year history, the Community Arts Council of Vancouver has been a strong advocate for the development of cultural infrastructure in this city. Our current priority is the Downtown Eastside. We are excited about the opportunity in the Downtown Eastside to demonstrate the power of the arts for locally-led revitalization for the benefit of the city as a whole.

In conclusion, we urge you to give this project your full support, for the benefit of the Downtown Eastside and indeed the City as a whole.

Sincerely,

Leslie Kemp, President
Community Arts Council of Vancouver

After 38 months working together to restore the Pantages Theatre, I have to report some unfortunate news. The last round of negotiations between the owner of the theatre and the City of Vancouver did not achieve the results we had hoped.

After spending considerable money to hold and maintain the building and adjoining properties (necessary for a fully-functioning and modern theatre), the owner has been forced to put all of the properties up for sale. The FOR SALE signs are now posted. We presume this irreplaceable heritage and community structure will be destroyed.

While this decision is unfortunate in terms of what we have been attempting to achieve over the countless meetings we have held, I respect the owner’s decision.

My view is that City Council has rejected an enormous opportunity to help redevelop the DTES in a manner consistent with its own economic and social policies and strategies. However, since the discussion was held at an in-camera council meeting, I do not know the reasons for its decision.

That said, we urgently ask you to register your support for the Pantages Project. The simplest way is an e-mail to: mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca (We would be grateful for a cc of yours to cb0bc@yahoo.com).

We have been told that there is a civic election on November 15.

You might want to note that the Pantages Project is a unique opportunity to do something extraordinary at Hastings and Main, for the people of Vancouver, and for heritage and the arts. There is – literally – nothing else like it in the City. And never will be again.

As you know, this century old theatre seats 650, offers a glorious acoustic, now has a Chinatown entrance at 127 East Pender, would have provided new lobbies and public amenities, an art gallery, and so much more.

In the last three years, over 2,000 people have been shown its wonders and promise. They saw and heard what was possible.

The Pantages Project would also have included 130+ units of housing next door. So much good might have been done.

Permit me to quote the owner: “We tried for over three years to find a financially viable proposal that would satisfy the many interests at stake. Ultimately, we could not. The Pantages was a very powerful idea. The theatre, the housing, the retail businesses – the combination was extraordinary. I was proud to have been a part of it. I am so disappointed we could not make it work.”

If we have any chance to reverse the City’s decision, it will now ONLY happen with the strongest support you can offer. TODAY. We’ve tried everything else.

Thank you for considering this,
Peter Fairchild
Chair, Pantages Theatre Arts Society

A group of community members who are interested in saving and restoring the York Theatre met at City Hall on December 6, 2007 with the new owner of the York Theatre and a number of representatives from the Planning Department, Cultural Affairs, and Heritage Group for the City of Vancouver.

The History and Vision for the York Theatre tells the story of why the York Theatre should be saved and restored. Click here

It was clear from this meeting that the new owner and developer, Paul Phillips of Edge Homes, has no interest in preserving the theatre. During the city strike, he was led to believe there would be no opposition to the demolition of the theatre and a townhouse development.

It is now clear that there is considerable support from the community for restoring and maintaining the theatre from the many letters and emails members of the community wrote to City Council. Our work is not over. The developer has a vested interest in this property and every day that goes by costs him money.

It is urgent that we communicate our desire to preserve this cultural facility and to act quickly to find a solution that will work for the developer and the community.

Recently we lost the historic Imperial Theatre, most recently known as the Venus Theatre, on Main at Union Street. Though rundown in recent years, this was still a restorable and usable purpose-built theatre, discovered to be in excellent condition once the demolition started. It opened in 1912 with a performance of Il Trovatore.

Also lost recently is the lovely art deco turret building at Georgia and Richards, formerly used as the Fido display and sales centre. We must stop this demolition of our architectural and cultural heritage.

The Opportunity to Save The York Theatre

Buy the York Theatre. The contribution is clear. The risk of losing any capital invested is low. Financing can be arranged to make costs tax deductible. The community will appreciate the contribution, and the opportunity is open to be part of the creative team. It could be an individual, a foundation, a business, or a community organization like the Coal Harbour Society, or a cooperative of contributors.

Tom Durrie
Save the York Theatre Society
email tdurrie@telus.net
604-215-0019

Contributors to the Save the York Theatre Society

Clifford Cox, Dr. Stephen Drance, Tom Durrie, David Galpin, Christopher Gaze, Spencer Massie, Heather Redfern, José Verstappen

More on the York Theatre

Time is running out for those keen to save the York Theatre

The York Theatre on Commercial Drive once home to Vancouver Little Theatre Society – Photo – Dan Toulgoet

If city council doesn’t get behind a campaign to save the building that was most recently the Raja Cinema, it could be demolished within four months, says Tom Durrie.

That’s why Durrie, founder of the Save the York Theatre Task Force and former manager of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, is arranging meetings with individual councillors. Tom Durrie heads up the task force that hopes to save the York Theatre, more recently known as the Raja Cinema, which was built in 1913.

The group is urging citizens to send letters of support for the retention of the theatre to city council. It’s also seeking “bridge funding”–most likely, money from an individual to buy the building, which in October sold for $960,000–and is developing business and fundraising plans.

“The property will either be bought back from them by the society [task force] or else, if that all falls apart, they can simply resell it, probably at a profit,” Durrie said. “So it’s a matter of putting up money. It’s not really a risk.”

Members of the task force working to save the theatre at Commercial Drive, just north of Venables, met with Paul Phillips, president of Vintage Development Corp., one of the owners of the building, and with city planning, cultural affairs and heritage staff in December.

Durrie said Rob Jenkins, a city planner, mentioned the possibility of the city finding an alternative site for the developer to build townhouses.

“Unfortunately, when [the developer] first made his inquiries at city hall it was during the strike and he was told there was no interest in the theatre whatsoever,” Durrie said. “It’s unfortunate. I’m sure he would have had second thoughts otherwise, because there may well be delays in proceeding with this application.”

Jenkins said the task force raised the idea of an alternative site. He said the city is working on a cultural facilities study and is unable to respond to individual requests for capital funding at this time. He said finding an alternative site is unlikely, but the city is looking into it.

Phillips, also president of and designer for EDG Homes Inc., expects to file a development application with the city in the next two weeks. Such applications typically take four months to be processed. Once that’s done, a demolition permit could be issued.

“As time goes by we’re less inclined to sell it because we have more invested, obviously, in terms of time and energy,” Phillips said.

Durrie first founded a group to save the theatre when demolition was proposed in 1981. Although the building remained intact, the city said the York was culturally insignificant. It’s not on the city’s heritage register. But now the city is looking beyond architectural significance to consider its cultural and historical value, he said.

Durrie said John McCarter, who later helped designed the historic Marine Building downtown, designed the York. The 475-seat theatre is plain inside, but in good shape.

“It was built in 1913, just at the time when this part of town, the Grandview area, was beginning to develop. The tram lines were put in at that point and so a lot of rising middle class people built houses out here,” Durrie said. “At the time when they built it, they sort of envisioned this as being the cultural centre of Vancouver, and it still could be.”