Many people are stunned after hearing the price tag for a Performing Arts Centre in Steinbach. Stantec consultants prepared a C-class estimate for the city which came in at $24.3 million. The estimated cost of the building itself is $17.9 million plus $6.4 million for things like site development, equipment, parking lots and engineering services. Mayor Chris Goertzen agrees that's a lot of money.

"I think council was surprised. There's been a lot of work done, looking at the costs, the scope of the project and trying to bring those costs down. In the end, when you build a good facility, it does cost a lot of money. Seeing the price of $18 million for the building itself and then other aspects, such as the parking lots, landscaping and fixtures and so on, bringing the total to the $24 million dollar mark, it's surprising."

Goertzen says city council remains committed to spending 7.5 million dollars on the facility but no more.

"We've set a clear direction of not more than $7.5 million of city money going towards this project and so it really makes it imperative that there is a federal, a provincial and a private component to the rest of those funds. Council is committed to the $7.5 million but is not committed to more and they will not put more in."

He adds applications are in to the federal and provincial governments for $7.5 million each. That would make for a total of $22.5 million with the remaining $1.8 million to be raised by the local arts community. Goertzen reiterates, the price tag caught everyone off guard.

"Everyone, whether they think this priority is the highest priority, a medium priority or even a low priority, is surprised at the dollars that are required to build a building like this."

Goertzen adds the project will only go forward if all of the funding components come in. He says nothing more will happen until they hear back from the federal and provincial governments.