The Lethbridge and District Japanese Garden Society pitched to city council over the phone for Monday’s community issues committee meeting, outlining financials for the capital improvement program project.
According to the society’s presentation, attendance at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden has gone up 204 per cent since 2014. The attraction had 38,900 visitors in 2019, which includes more than 16,000 people for its popular Winter Light Festival.
But the society said the increase in attendance and revenue have been offset by increased staffing and programming costs.
To operate on a year-round basis, a new indoor community facility was requested for the garden.
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Earlier this month, executive director Michelle Day said: “Currently, Nikka Yuko has maximized their space. To be able to generate more revenue, we need that indoor space to offer more packages, more revenue opportunities.”
The city had previously committed $2.6 million in funding for the expansion but has been reviewing projects since the provincial budget reduced municipal sustainability funding.
The society’s presentation also requested that council approve of its proposed fee schedule for the upcoming four-year budget cycle. According to the city, the society received $133,700 from the city under the previous Fee for Service Agreement. The society has now requested that annual fees be set at $304,890 through 2022.
Nikka Yuko is also making a one-time ask of $99,000 in 2022.
Mayor Chris Spearman said Monday’s presentation was not up for approval — due to it being at a community issues committee meeting and not at a city council meeting — but the topic could go before council as soon as April 6.
“I think it’s going to be a very difficult decision for council,” said Spearman.
“It’s whether we continue to invest now in the future. But if we’re encouraging people to come to the city, do we continue to support the efforts that are there now? Will it be adversely affected if the project gets delayed? Those are all issues that council will have to weigh.”
Spearman said that Coun. Blaine Hyggen is putting forward a resolution to delay the Nikka Yuko project to the next capital improvement program. The next capital improvement program deliberations are not set to begin until June 2021.