Kitchener councillors agreed Monday night to give Centre in the Square $350,000.
That money is earmarked to help the performing arts venue push through a transition period.
CITS is currently working toward putting together a new-look schedule for the next two years.
As part of that work, the relationship between the venue and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony – which a consultant’s report described last summer as “paralyzed” – is also being reconsidered.
Coun. Scott Davey suggested that the city order a cut in the number of weekend dates the symphony books at Centre in the Square.
“We need to set a minimum guideline,” he said.
“For too long, council has been dancing around the reality that the symphony needs to move off some weekends.”
All other councillors voted against his idea, with some saying they believed the venue and the symphony would come to the same conclusion without the city forcing their hand.
“That’s not an effective way to start a negotiation. It creates an unbalanced environment that from day one … would destine us toward failure,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said.
The new schedule of performances and rental rate structure is expected to be complete by June.
