It’s music to the ears of many in the arts community — one step closer to a $25-million City of Calgary commitment to a national music centre.
The community and protective services committee yesterday unanimously rubber-stamped the city’s contribution, which will see the area surrounding the historic King Eddy transformed into a world-class cultural centre.
“We got an ecstatic endorsement today from city council,” said Andrew Mosker, executive director of the Cantos Music Foundation, the group behind the East Village project.
The planned 80,000-square-foot facility will house the Cantos Music Collection, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection and provide for recording studios, a music and wellness research centre, radio broadcasting space, and an artists-in-residence program.
Although final approval from council is needed Jan. 25, Mosker doesn’t anticipate any further hurdles. He also isn’t worried about funding being jeopardized, as it has ties to the provincial Municipal Sustainability Initiative program.
“The endorsement that we’ve had from the province and the city have concluded us to believe that they see the value of this project,” said Mosker.
Funding must still be secured from the provincial and federal governments for the estimated $94-million project.
