The Victoria Park Boathouse remains a construction zone, and it now appears that the landmark will not likely open for several more months.
The live music venue's transformation has hit some delays that mean it will stay silent for most of the summer.
The operator says he's known about them for a while now, but the area councillor says he's just learning about them now and is frustrated by the delay.
“We've spent about $350,000 on this exterior patio, (and) we've scheduled to spend $400,000 (or) $410,000 on the interior renovations. Now with what we're facing I wouldn't be at all surprised if there will be requests for more taxpayer’s money,” says Kitchener City Councillor Frank Etherington.
The venue's new operator, Bill Mactavish, says the delays are due to concerns about heritage elements of the venue, as well as insufficient power requiring a new transformer.
“We have new mechanical, new electrical, new HVAC, new pretty much everything. So with all that we're adding … the power we have isn't adequate,” says Bill Mactavish, the Boathouse’s owner and operator.
Mactavish also says he's hopeful more funding won’t be needed..
“We're hoping we're not going to have to ask for money. We have money, a budget, if we can work with that budget that would be the ideal situation,” he says.
Still, the Boathouse won't be open for the summer or for big events like the Blues Festival. Mactavish says it’s not ideal, but will be worth the wait.
“It's gorgeous weather and it would be nice to be drinking a beer on the patio right now, but I'm not concerned about it. I’m disappointed about loss of revenue, but I'd rather open the perfect venue than make it happen too quickly or not quite how we want,” he says.
Etherington says he'll be raising several questions at council on Monday, including how likely it is that the Boathouse will meet its new September opening date deadline.
Mactavish says he's 90 percent confident it will be ready by then.
