Saldus plans referendum on 12.5 million euro cultural centre

Saldus municipality plans to hold a consultative referendum on converting a former district council building into a cultural centre, a project estimated to cost more than 12.5 million euros, LSM reported. The municipality would be the first in Latvia to seek residents’ views this way.

The building was originally constructed for the Saldus district council. Plans to adapt it for cultural use have been discussed before, but the town has been without a cultural centre for more than 10 years. The former cultural centre was demolished, and a disaster management centre is being built in its place. Residents who oppose the decision to demolish it are continuing legal proceedings against the municipality and the state.

Plans for the new centre have now taken shape, with sketches drawn up to check whether the proposed facilities would fit on the plot, said Ingrīda Andersone, head of the Saldus municipal building authority and an architect.

The municipality has 114 amateur arts groups, including 21 in Saldus with more than 390 members. The town’s groups are currently spread across five locations, said Maija Rjabova, director of the Saldus Tourism Information, Culture and Sports Centre. She said dance groups need a suitable stage that is large enough, well lit and equipped with technology.

The referendum could cost up to 10,000 euros. Saldus municipality residents aged 16 and over who are registered there would be able to vote online or in person. An election commission would prepare the ballots and verify and count the results.

Municipal council chair Māris Zusts said the project would use the municipality’s priority funding for the next three to four years. Other large projects would have to wait if residents agree that the cultural centre is the top priority.