J.K. Tett Centre
The City is working toward redeveloping the J.K. Tett Centre at 370 King Street West — and intends to re-open it as the J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning in 2012. This exciting project has involved extensive public consultation with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and the wider community over numerous years (see the links at right for more on the history of this project and the history of the Tett's buildings and grounds).
Creating an Arts Cluster
This project will create an "arts cluster" — a unique destination that brings together artists, students and the community accessible to Kingston residents and area visitors alike. To be developed in collaboration with Queen's University, this arts cluster will also feature the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts that will include a recital hall and theatre, rehearsal space, a screening facility and classrooms.
Creativity and learning will be the main focus and, to this end, the Tett will offer an exceptional range of creative activities designed to appeal to people of all ages and artistic abilities. Participation will be a defining element of this arts cluster: everyone will be encouraged to engage in creative activities in ways that are meaningful to them.
Project History
Work on the re-development of the J.K. Tett Centre began in 2005 when the City of Kingston hires Artscape Inc. a Toronto firm with broad experience in developing and managing arts clusters or multi-tenant art centres, to develop a feasibility study to guide this project.
Artscape met with various stakeholders on numerous occasions and facilitates a "visioning exercise" that leads to the creation of the "J.K. Tett Complex: Creative Cluster Feasibility Study" presented to City Council in May 2006 (see link at right). A "J.K. Tett Complex: Preliminary Business Model" was submitted in October 2006 and an updated "J.K. Tett Centre 2009 Business Plan" was submitted in October 2009.
In July 2006 City Council approved the sale and purchase of the former Morton Brewery site (see History of Site at right) to Queen's University, which included: the Stella Buck Building, the Tercentennary Lodge, the building previously occupied by the Domino Theatre and the surrounding property. At the time, the City retained ownership of the J.K. Tett Centre to be re-developed as an arts cluster in recognition of its recent history.
Most recently work on this project has included a 'Call for Tenants' (see link at right) by the Arts Advisory Committee that resulted in the nomination of 11 prospective tenants to occupy the J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning when it is completed. An updated "Business Plan, J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning" was also approved by City Council in March 2010 and funding for this project was subsequently approved in April 2010.
Renovation of the J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning is expected to get underway in early 2011 with work being completed by Fall 2012.
Tenants of the new J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning
In May 2009 City Council approved the nomination of the following organizations as tenants to occupy the J.K. Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning when it re-opens:
- H'Art School of Smiles Inc.
- Kingston Arts Council
- Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners
- Kingston Lapidary and Mineral Club
- Kingston Photographic Club
- Kingston Potters' Guild
- Kingston School of Art
- Kingston School of Dance
- Kingston Suzuki Music Association
- Modern Fuel Artist Run Centre
- Theatre Kingston
Each of these organizations has been consulted as part of the planning process and temporary locations have also been found for those organizations that have been directly impacted by the re-development of the J.K. Tett Centre. More information about these organizations, including their current locations, can be found on the Cultural Links site at right.
About this heritage site
The J.K. Tett Centre is one of many designated heritage sites in Kingston — it has a beautiful waterfront location, is close to Portsmouth Village and the Alwington and Sunnyside neighbourhoods as well as Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Queen's University and downtown Kingston.
Both the J. K. Tett Centre, and the adjacent Stella Buck Building, originally formed part of the Morton Brewery and Distillery complex that was reputed to be the largest of its kind in North America during the mid-19th century. James Morton himself was involved in lumbering, shipping, the Grand Trunk railroad and a furniture business utilizing convict labour.
The building and the site have also served as a military hospital, a regional headquarters for National Defense, office space for City staff and, more recently, as home to a number of cultural groups and not-for-profit organizations. This creative use of the site was initiated by John K. Tett, a former Director of Recreation for the City of Kingston, for whom the J.K. Tett Centre was named. See the History of the Site link at right for an account of the site by Dorothy Young.
