Battle rages at city hall over downtown arena
bootlegga @ Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:39 am
$1:
EDMONTON - The three-year debate about building a $450-million downtown arena played out in microcosm Tuesday in an angry, funny, frustrating, wacky day-long marathon of civic theatre that pitted the risk-averse against risktakers, younger against older, small town traditionalists vs. urban visionaries.
The city's non-statutory public hearing was a fascinating window into the conflicted soul of a city at a crossroads between its small-town past and what many hope will be a more progressive, cosmopolitan future.
It was messy, it was noisy - especially during a brief demonstration by members of Occupy Edmonton - but it was nothing if not heartfelt, from 9: 30 a.m. start to late-evening finish.
The debate cleaved in an uneven sort of way along the fault line of age. Older interveners tended to express fear, astonishment and full-blown rage at the notion of tax dollars being deployed to what they view as the benefit of billionaire Oilers owner Daryl Katz.
The city's non-statutory public hearing was a fascinating window into the conflicted soul of a city at a crossroads between its small-town past and what many hope will be a more progressive, cosmopolitan future.
It was messy, it was noisy - especially during a brief demonstration by members of Occupy Edmonton - but it was nothing if not heartfelt, from 9: 30 a.m. start to late-evening finish.
The debate cleaved in an uneven sort of way along the fault line of age. Older interveners tended to express fear, astonishment and full-blown rage at the notion of tax dollars being deployed to what they view as the benefit of billionaire Oilers owner Daryl Katz.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/B ... story.html
BartSimpson @ Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:57 am
We've got the same debate ongoing in Sacramento. The billionaire Maloof brothers want the city to pay for a $1bn arena and in return they'll keep their basketball team here. Oh yeah, they also want 100% of the parking revenue, 100% of the profits on all events at the arena, and they want all restaurants in the downtown to close during basketball games in order to force fans to eat at the arena concessions.
And the new arena means that Sacramento's long-planned downtown transportation hub will be cancelled so the arena can take its place.
What a deal. 
bootlegga @ Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:07 am
I have to admit I'm torn on the issue - I agree that an arena would be nice, but I don't want taxpayer dollars paying for 100% of it and then letting the local billionaire (Darryl Katz) keep all the revenues after it's built.
IMHO, it should be paid for in part by Katz and mostly by the users through a ticket tax. However, in their haste to get a deal done, they've given him even more than he originally asked for (he was going to chip in $100 million for the arena).
Dragon-Dancer @ Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:38 am
I think this is a terrible idea all around. We already have an arena, we don't need another one. If Katz really wants it that bad he can darn well buy the land and build it himself. I think that guy is incredibly greedy the way he's structured this deal and I'm not fond of our counselors for allowing this lopsided deal to get this far.
Alta_redneck @ Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:03 pm
Rexall Place is about the only place I know how to get to in Edmonton, and I know you don't want us old rural drivers anywhere downtown so perhaps you could expand the LRT out to, say........ Ellerslie RD.
Freakinoldguy @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:05 am
While getting a new a public funded arena is always nice, it also becomes a slippery slope for a city finanacially.
Just take a look at the litanies of cities south of the border that have had these woes to see what I mean.
A team owner wants a new arena paid for by the public, so he holds the city hostage by threatening to move his team. City builds new arena, owner gets all revenue from arena and city ends up paying for it for years or, city doesn't build it and team owner moves to new city who ends up paying for years for an arena they built just to get a team.
Seattle. Minnesota, Colorado, Phoenix, St.Lous, Oakland, Los Angeles, Brooklyn and I could go on and on and on.
Either way the public looses in this scenario but it keeps NHL teams in some small market Canadian cities............for now or at least till our dollar drops and the owners will cry poor and want to move the team anyway.
Either way the fans and the public loose.
QBC @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:13 am
Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:
Rexall Place is about the only place I know how to get to in Edmonton, and I know you don't want us old rural drivers anywhere downtown so perhaps you could expand the LRT out to, say........ Ellerslie RD.
That's a true story AR.
We all remember your last trip to Edmonton.....
...(Or was that Yogi.... 
)
Yogi @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:35 am
QBC QBC:
Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:
Rexall Place is about the only place I know how to get to in Edmonton, and I know you don't want us old rural drivers anywhere downtown so perhaps you could expand the LRT out to, say........ Ellerslie RD.
That's a true story AR.
We all remember your last trip to Edmonton.....
...(Or was that Yogi.... )That was AR, Boss. I always drive my combine into town!
(Posted from beyootifull `downtown`Coronation, AB)
Yogi @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:38 am
Edmonton; I told you waaay back, that you were going to be getting this new arena, and that you would be taking a real ROYAL FUCKING in the process!
DrCaleb @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:10 am
Yogi Yogi:
Edmonton; I told you waaay back, that you were going to be getting this new arena, and that you would be taking a real ROYAL FUCKING in the process!
Why? Northlands Collseium was built with 100% city money, and it turned out pretty well. If Kats wants to chip in 1/4 for some of the revenue, I'm good with that.
SprCForr @ Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:01 am
Them things shouldn't be allowed on any Alberta road.
Drive a dam truck.
bootlegga @ Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:29 am
Here's a pic of the proposed new arena - what do you think?
downtown arena.jpg [ 43.11 KiB | Viewed 409 times ]
Comments so far have been generally positive. I think it looks fairly cool (and somewhat matches the new art gallery a few blocks away), but wonder if it takes up too much space.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Reaction ... story.html
OnTheIce @ Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:45 am
Having worked for one of the Katz's companies, I wouldn't give that guy a cent for an arena. Let him cover the cost himself.
Dragon-Dancer @ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:17 am
Futuristic looking, an interesting design but I still say he should be building it himself if he wants it that much.
Lemmy @ Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:35 am
Markham Ontario's loopy mayor has a grandiose scheme to build an NHL-ready arena in the Toronto suburbs. Maybe he can get the Edmonton Oilers or Sacramento Kings to move in? Oh wait, Markham is 90% Chinese. They don't buy hockey/basketball tickets. If he wants to draw locals to the venue, maybe he'd be better to go after that GTA Casino-site deal instead.