Concerns for visitor centre in funding row

There are fears for the Cork Vision Centre amid a bitter row over its funding and future use.

The Cork Civic Trust, managing the city council-owned building as a free visitor attraction for the last 17 years, confirmed yesterday it is withdrawing from the management of the facility from December.

“This is an extremely regrettable decision, and is one which has been essentially forced on the trust,” its chief executive John X Miller and chairman Michael Mulcahy said.

The move follows almost a year of negotiations between City Hall and the civic trust over the North Main St centre.

The trust, which got €225,000 from the city last year to run the centre, was asked by City Hall, 12 months ago, to “re-imagine” its future, and to find ways to lessen their reliance on city council funding.

The trust hired an independent consultant to draft a plan which included proposals to develop an interactive “paid-for” visitor attraction.

However, the plan was rejected by city officials and the trust’s board decided to withdraw from managing the centre. But, following the intervention of the Lord Mayor Mary Shields earlier this month, the trust reversed its decision.

Against the backdrop of reduced council funding of €205,000 for 2015, the trust agreed to review its “re-imagining” plan.

Mr Mulcahy said they developed two concepts which would help kickstart the regeneration of North Main St, while delivering a major innovative tourism attraction for Cork.

But he said he was left frustrated following a meeting with city officials on Monday and that “roadblocks to the review” were raised.

“It is now clear to us, that having regard to the obstacles that are being placed in our way, it will be impossible for us to ever reach an accommodation that will satisfy Cork City Council, or sections within it who are now steering this process,” he said.

Mr Mulcahy said the trust believes their new plan would kickstart the regeneration of North Main St and position the Vision Centre to become the “hub” of the city’s historic spine.

Deputy Lord Mayor Ken O’Flynn accused City Hall of “scoring an own goal” and putting the final nail in the coffin of North Main St.

“My fear now is that the Vision Centre could end up like the Craft Centre in Shandon – closed and boarded up,” he said.

But a spokesperson for City Hall said she was “very surprised” by the trust’s announcement.

She rejected the accusation roadblocks were being placed in the trust’s way, and said it is standard council procedure to ask all arts bodies in receipt of council funding to review their operations.