Nov 06, 2009 - 01:49 PM

By Chris Hall

SCUGOG -- The Scugog Council for the Arts is drafting up a plan it hopes will secure its storefront home in Port Perry's downtown core for months to come.

The arts group is currently tucked away in the former Scugog Visitor and Business Centre, located in the municipal office at 181 Perry St. The hitch, however, is that the Township is hoping to find a paying tenant for that space.

Earlier this fall, municipal staff was directed to seek out interested agencies or partners who might want to utilize the prime space. Bev Hendry, Scugog's chief administrative officer, was given a deadline of Nov. 1 to find a group. Failing that, she was ordered to offer up the space as a public rental.

However, at the Nov. 2 municipal committees meeting, the CAO told councillors she had no luck in finding an interested group. She didn't advertise the available space, but spread the news by word-of-mouth, councillors were told.

The space was formerly the home of the Scugog Visitor and Business Centre, which was shared between the Township, Scugog Chamber of Commerce and the Port Perry Downtown BIA. The two merchant groups, however, recently made the decision to sever ties with the Township, citing a need to focus on business matters instead of acting as event planners. They've since moved two doors south in the building, shacking up with the United Way.

Their departure, though, has left Scugog with a prime retail location that it holds a lease on through March 2011.

The space was recently filled on an interim basis by the Scugog Council for the Arts, which obtained a Trillium Foundation grant to hire a staff member. The arts group, however, wants to make the arrangement a little more permanent.

"We've indicated an interest in the putting together a business plan for the space," said the SCA's operating manager Carey Nicholson. "We like the space and feel it's a good starting point to start an arts resource centre for the community.

"Since we're here now and it's a good location, if there's no immediate tenant coming in or the space is open, we'd like to pursue something with the Township to stay here."

As for paying rent, "that's definitely something we'd have to work out," added Ms. Nicholson.

At last week's meeting, Scugog's councillors said they haven't yet reviewed the SCA's proposal, but were intrigued somewhat by the plan.

"Either get us a partner and if the SCA wants to be a partner, let's look at it, or get us a sublease," Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce directed Ms. Hendry.

As part of the SCA's grant application, the Township was obligated to provide some sort of space for the group. Initially, the Township tossed around the idea of sending the group to the new Scugog Shores Heritage Centre and Archives or placing them in the municipal office basement, said Mayor Pearce.

"Our contribution was to give them a desk for staff and they got it," said the mayor. "We didn't say where it had to be."