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