Downtown arts venue faces threat of eviction amid cash-flow problems
CBC
An Edmonton arts organization is facing possible eviction from a city-owned property after repeatedly failing to make lease payments.
The future of the CO*LAB YEG building remains uncertain as city administration seeks to recover outstanding payments from the operator of the community arts venue in the Boyle Street neighbourhood.
The Quarters Arts Society was issued a notice of default by the city last month. The group, which for three years has hosted exhibitions, live shows and community workshops inside the city-owned building at 9641 102A Ave., has struggled to pay its bills.
Bartosz Jarocki, the city's branch manager of real estate, said administration has been working with CO*LAB for years to help the group meet the financial terms of its lease.
"The city has issued a notice of default, which could progress to an eviction notice as a last resort," Jarocki said in a statement Wednesday.
"We've reached this point after a couple of years of payment issues and ongoing efforts to address those issues.
"We're hopeful that CO*LAB can work with us to meet their financial obligations in their lease and will continue our efforts toward a resolution."
Jarocki declined to detail how much, in total, is owed to the city or how much the organization is expected to pay each month under a debt repayment plan offered to the group this spring.
Society president Stewart Burdett said that to stall eviction, the group needs to immediately pay the city nearly $19,000 by Aug. 18.
The group tells CBC it owes a total of nearly $22,000 to the city. It was expected to pay $2500 each month under a new debt repayment scheme which began in April.
The society has launched an online fundraiser, calling on Edmontonians to donate the money needed to pay down its debt with the city.
On Tuesday, the society launched a petition calling on city administration to lift the eviction order while a repayment plan is worked out.
"We need to have that threat removed from the situation," Burdett said. "Negotiating under that pressure is not helpful to what we're trying to do here.
"We want to pay our bills. We're not trying to eschew our responsibilities ... We want to get into a position where we're three months ahead of the game, as opposed to scrambling to pay."
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