The owner of Indefinite Arts Centre says increased demand for the program’s services for people with disabilities warrants an expansion but his hands are currently tied as he awaits a City of Calgary decision on what will become of the attached arena.
On February 20, the roof atop the arena at the Fairview Arena and Community Hall collapsed after the building in the 8,000 block of Fairmount Drive Southeast, was deemed unsafe and closed to the public. The structural damage to the part of the building that housed Indefinite Arts Centre was minor but the studio was forced to vacate the premises.
The art program was displaced for nearly five months, operating temporarily out of the Shane Homes YMCA, before it was permitted to return to Fairview in July.
The building has been without heat after the gas lines were severed and the artists have resorted to wearing jackets indoors in an attempt to stay warm.
CTV Calgary was notified of the heat concerns and, after the story aired, Indefinite Arts Centre’s owner, Jung-Suk Ryu, says he received a call from a senior official in Mayor Nenshi’s office stating she wasn’t pleased that Ryu had discussed the issue with the media.
“My responsibility as the CEO of this organization is to be a strong advocate for our needs first,” Ryu told CTV on Friday. “The fact that it may not have been taken so well is very upsetting.”
In a statement, Nenshi’s office stated their concerns. “We continue to be committed to helping any organization that does important work in Calgary to the extent that we can but it is always easier if we hear it directly first instead of through other channels.”
Ryu says he has been supported in his effort to have the issue addressed. “The general consensus of our team members was I did the right thing when we went to the media to talk about the issues facing this building. We talked about some of the frustrations
Contactors from Indefinite Arts Centre’s insurance company have since restored heat to the studio.
Ryu hopes the City of Calgary will come to a decision on the fate of the property in the near future. “We’re in an eyesore of a building. This affects the community, not only the community that we serve but the broader community of Fairview.”
A stakeholders meeting was held Thursday night to discuss potential options for the building but the arts centre will not permitted to expand or renovate until a decision on the property is finalized.
With files from CTV’s Jaclyn Brown
