An arts community?

Here’s a bit of surprising news from the Lethbridge Herald this morning:

In what promises to be a major downtown makeover, city council has enthusiastically endorsed a plan to build two major new arts facilities along a one-block plaza just east of Galt Gardens.

The two-phase plan is to begin with a new $12.6-million community arts centre on the eastern portion of the former IGA site by 2012, followed in subsequent years by a neighbouring performing arts centre. The latter would extend westward into the park, resulting in the closure of what is now a section of 7 Street South and creating a downtown arts district.

Local arts community leaders are lauding council’s decision, which was unanimous.

Downtown “revitalization” has always seemed like talk to me, but this is the positive sign that Lethbridge is actually becoming less hick moving forward. Hopefully, it also means there’s a place to display the large collection of art that both the university and college have locked away in their vaults.

Now if we could only get that third bridge…

Dramatic plans in store downtown

4 thoughts on “An arts community?”

  1. I wrote a feature on the idea of “revitalization” in downtown Lethbridge for Expressions back in '06, and when I interviewed the mayor he brought this idea up. I never thought it would actually happen because, well, it's Lethbridge.

    This is really important for the city and community of Lethbridge, and at an important time as I believe the city is going through a major shift in identity, and it'd be too bad if that identity was dictated by Wal-Mart and the suburbs.

    Interesting news.

    Reply
  2. I wrote a feature on the idea of “revitalization” in downtown Lethbridge for Expressions back in '06, and when I interviewed the mayor he brought this idea up. I never thought it would actually happen because, well, it's Lethbridge.

    This is really important for the city and community of Lethbridge, and at an important time as I believe the city is going through a major shift in identity, and it'd be too bad if that identity was dictated by Wal-Mart and the suburbs.

    Interesting news.

    Reply

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