:: Shakespeare in the Alley ::

I am all for the building of a new Performing Arts Centre and I recognise the arts are a valuable component of any community. I still have to ask; why does Barrie City Council believe the Five Points to be a practical place to locate a Performing Arts Centre? Would it not benefit more by being located where there is room for dedicated parking facilities such as the Train Station or Arena sites, or the existing and soon available properties at Vespra and Innisfil Streets?
If we create even more competition for existing downtown parking for businesses that are disadvantaged already by parking limits it is going to hurt not help downtown businesses and probably cause more to move or fold.Seniors and the disabled are being ignored by council with this location choice as many won't be able to walk the one two or even more city blocks to and from their cars to the Five Points.
Doesn’t good City planning dictate that a new Performing Arts Centre should be built with consideration for future expansion as Barrie grows? The Five Points does not offer this potential.
Area businesses will gain far less benefit than anticipated from this as I think many arts related events are held in the evenings. I can’t imagine that retail shopping on Dunlop Street is a priority for arts patrons immediately before an event and certainly not afterwards when they step out onto Dunlop to see the bar crowds have taken control of the street. (There's a tragic comedy for you!)Dunlop Street’s best intended use is still retail and select service related businesses. Barrie should be doing more to encourage reputable businesses to locate down town. Barrie should encourage a market like the Mariposa Market in Orillia to locate at the Five Points. It would set the tone for downtown. We should offer incentives to our areas best existing bakeries, butcher shops, produce markets, delicatessens etc. to lour them to downtown Barrie. We would then begin to see a revitalized downtown that local residents and visitors would choose to shop in and future businesses would be anxious to be a part of. An arts centre is not going to bring even one additional person to downtown Dunlop Street on a Saturday or Sunday morning or afternoon.