VIVO Media Arts Centre prepares to leave home on Main Street

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      VIVO Media Arts Centre is searching for a new home following the sale of the building it has occupied for two decades on Main Street in Vancouver.

      General manager Emma Hendrix said the nonprofit group recently learned of the sale and has been told to move out by May 1, 2014.

      “The landlord sold it (the building) and he sold it for a significant sum of money. We’re just paying rent and have been for 20 years,” Hendrix told the Straight by phone today (May 7).

      “I haven’t actually spoken to the new owner, but from my understanding I don’t think the building is going to remain as is.”

      VIVO’s current home is a 6,000-square-foot space at 1965 Main Street in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.

      In a news release, the group said it wants to purchase a “suitable, affordable” new space in Mount Pleasant.

      “We feel like we belong in this neighbourhood; we’ve been here for so long,” Hendrix told the Straight.

      VIVO’s stated goal is to renovate a new location to provide room for a large studio, exhibit space, classrooms, equipment storage, an archive, and administration.

      Hendrix explained VIVO is looking to secure financial support for the relocation from the City of Vancouver as well as other levels of government and organizations.

      “We want to take this as an opportunity, so we’d like to purchase some real estate, find our own space,” Hendrix said.

      Comments

      5 Comments

      cathy

      May 7, 2013 at 9:53pm

      A city needs it's art spaces

      Good luck to them in buying a space and getting support from the City of Vancouver and others.
      Perhaps they will be heard above the din of greedy developers taking over the city.

      Alan Layton

      May 7, 2013 at 11:57pm

      I'm shocked, although I know I shouldn't be. This part of Main St. is about to undergo some huge changes. There are new condo buildings to the south, east and north of this site, so the writing is on the wall. I hope they're able to take Gregor to task over his recent statements about keeping the arts/culture alive in Vancouver. I wish them the best of luck.

      RUK

      May 8, 2013 at 9:50am

      There was nothing special about the Video Inn building, it is a building. What is special is the fact that it exists to help develop new talent, their gear, expertise, and - this is pretty evanescent, but meaningful IMO - the extra cachet that it brings to Mt Pleasant, helping define the area as a home of the arts.

      I do hope, and have reason to think, that the city will help them find a space. When developers put in their application, it should be no problem for the city to say, "fine, but just so you know, there is gonna be 10,000 feet set aside for VIVO."

      Richard Dolen

      May 8, 2013 at 6:49pm

      Vivo is ex-Intermedia, ex-IndyMedia and a Paul Wong baby as a deal with a good friend.

      Friendships end, media trends fail. And they must move on.

      Don't they like SouthEast Marine Drive where Councillor Heather Deal got them new tikki-taki to pretend to be artistes?

      joanne yau

      May 23, 2013 at 3:26pm

      does anybody know who bought the building?