The Kay Meek Centre's main stage will become the Grosvenor Theatre - following the development company's move to pay $1 million for the right to strut and fret the next decade on the West Van stage.
The billion-dollar company's decision to hang its name in banners astride the stage of the 498-seat theatre was a welcome development, according Paul Tutsch, chairman of Kay Meek's board of directors.
The theatre will largely use the endowment for youth initiatives, such as summer and winter conservatories for young thespians studying acting and backstage production.
When planning the centre, the late philanthropist Kay Meek set up a similar endowment for youth programs before development costs swallowed the fund, according to Tutsch. "True to Kay Meek's wishes, we're going to use a good chunk of this money for (youth programs)," he said.
Emphasizing arts and
culture is part of Grosvenor's approach to city building, according to Grosvenor Americas chief executive officer Andrew Bibby. "Grosvenor has contributed to sustainable growth on the North Shore for over a decade and we are excited to see this further enhanced," Bibby stated in a release.
Kay Meek will also orchestrate the drama at the year-round stage between Grosvenor's mid-rise towers being built at the 1300-block of Marine Drive.
That curtain is scheduled to rise for the first time in the summer of 2017.
The Ambleside project, approved by West Vancouver council in 2013, was contentious throughout.
The project's advocates and adversaries jousted over building heights, unit costs and the building's role in revitalizing Ambleside's struggling retailers.
The arrangement with the Kay Meek is not an attempt to assuage the feelings bruised during
the Ambleside hearings, according to James Patillo, senior vice-president of Grosvenor Americas.
"It was just a matter of us wanting to make a contribution to arts and culture on the North Shore," he said. "We've done a lot in the North Shore over the last 10 years, we're doing more."
Tutsch said he had "no hesitation" to work with Grosvenor.
"There are always naysayers, and I've lived in West Vancouver for quite
some time, so I'm kind of used to this," he said of the Ambleside debate. "It's for the betterment of the Kay Meek Centre to have a more vibrant Ambleside."
Grosvenor is also planning a low-density residential and commercial development at the former SuperValu site in Edgemont.
Patillo previously said Grosvenor would contemplate a three-or fourstorey building in the village with units for young families and downsizing seniors.
