The results are in and now the preliminary findings on the feasibility of the former Kootenay School of the Arts building as a creative and a community hub are to be revealed.
At the next Nelson city council meeting — Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. — preliminary findings of the analysis from independent consulting firm Nordicity and the Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative will be presented to council, in an attempt to make a case for the city-owned building as an arts centre.
Representing a coalition of artists, cultural workers and community partners in the regional district, the The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council and Nelson District Arts Council undertook phase one of a feasibility study to determine the future-use potential of the Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA) building in the Heritage city.
On Oct. 17, 2025 Selkirk College announced that the campus at 606 Victoria Street would be shut down, ending the Kootenay School of the Arts program at the end of the academic year. After the closure the college will end its lease of the building.
The presentation on Tuesday is expected to demonstrate the short-term (two-year) operating and governance considerations and realities for a KSA that is “both creative and a community hub, while continuing the property’s legacy of world-class artisan education and development,” noted a release from the coalition on Thursday.
“Based on an environmental scan and other secondary research, as well as community engagement (interviews and focus groups) and a space assessment, the presentation will highlight how the KSA is a vital asset in the region that can directly support local space and programming needs, while also contributing to the cultural, social and economic vibrancy of Nelson,” it continued.
The presentation is expected to identify the conditions needed to stabilize KSA for the next two years so it can continue to deliver these important impacts. A more fulsome report with detailed financial assumptions will follow later in February.
