Artistic Development: Vaughan plans for culture district

NRU
February 19, 2014
By Sarah Ratchford

Vaughan could be on the brink of becoming a whole lot artsier.

The city is working toward developing an arts, culture and design district in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the city’s future downtown. Vaughan office of the city manager executive director Tim Simmonds says the plan is in its early stages, but the need for a cultural centre was included Vaughan’s 2010 official plan.

“It’s about creating a complete city,” Simmonds tells NRU. “Through the official plan, we’ve identified that a city is more than just a collection of buildings, it’s the social fabric, the people.”

He says the district could include performing arts venues, convention facilities, meeting spaces, and hotels, and maybe an amphitheatre.

The district is to be bounded by Jane Street to the east, Highway 400 to the west, Highway 407 to the south, and Portage Parkway to the North, says Simmonds.

Lord Cultural Resources co-president Gail Lord spoke to Vaughan committee of the whole last week. In her view, the city should outline a more comprehensive cultural plan before defining and building a specific cultural district.

“It doesn’t make sense, with a rapidly growing city like Vaughan, to talk about one district,” Lord tells NRU. It’s important to focus on the city as a whole. She said there are many nodes for culture, design and creative place-making, so many locations should be factored into the plan, not just one.

Vaughan does have a cultural plan in place already. It’s called Creative Together, and it was put together in 2010. But Lord says some councillors are unaware of the plan. Going forward, staff will revisit that plan, re-work it and expand upon it, says Simmonds. The new cultural plan will focus on creating a cultural district. Costs to ensure the city has an arts, culture and design district have not yet been estimated, according to Simmonds.

But a report from economic development director Jennifer Ladouceur says the endeavour will “require a tremendous investment of resources” and may require a “strong private sector catalyst.”

Simmonds says he expects a staff report to go to council in May outlining the next steps for preparing the new cultural plan.