Performing and Cultural Arts Centre
Performing and Cultural Arts Centre Development
In March 2024, Mayor Del Duca announced the City of Vaughan’s plans to develop a Performing and Cultural Arts Centre in Vaughan’s emerging downtown core. To advance this important initiative, the City is partnering with QuadReal Property Group to develop funding, design, construction, and operational models for the future centre.
The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) is poised to become the financial, innovation and cultural centre of Vaughan. Since 2018, the City has been exploring the feasibility of developing a cultural arts centre to serve the growing population of residents, employees, and visitors in the VMC and city-wide. A feasibility study conducted in 2019 estimated that a cultural facility in the VMC can stimulate more than $100 million in economic activity related to one-time construction and has the potential to inject over $2.5 million directly into the local and regional economy every year.
The future Performing and Cultural Arts Centre will become a central hub for arts and culture in Vaughan and contribute to the VMC’s evolution into a world-class downtown destination. The centre will also support Vaughan’s growing creative industries, hospitality and retail sectors, and tourism destination development by offering a state-of-the-art venue for local, regional, and international creative talent and audiences.
Vaughan is home to more than 3,500 creative businesses in the sector, which account for nearly one-third of all creative businesses in York Region. These businesses contribute to multiple sectors, including arts, entertainment and recreation, information and cultural industries and professional, scientific and technical services. Together, they added more than $2.4 billion to Vaughan’s real GDP in 2022.
Reports
- April 2019 – Phase I: Needs Assessment Report
- November 2019 – Phase II: Final Report
- December 2019 – Feasibility Study for a Cultural Arts Centre in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC Sub-Committee Report)
- December 2019 – VMC Cultural Centre: A Creative Hub (Presentation to VMC Sub-Committee)
- March 2021 – Phase II: Development of a Cultural and Performing Arts Centre in the VMC (VMC Sub-Committee Report)
- May 2024 – Partnership to Advance a Performing and Cultural Arts Centre in the VMC (Committee of the Whole (2) Report)