Council buys more land and gets started on design of 4,500 seat arena

While some councillors didn’t want to move ahead with the large arena (estimated to cost $60 million) without a plan for how to pay for it, others argued getting the designs and a full picture of the cost was essential to planning.

“We can’t raise money until we know what we’re raising,” Mayor Greg Dionne told the meeting.

Coun. Blake Edwards agreed getting an accurate cost for the project was “the smart way to do business.”

“It [the detailed design] is likely going to come back and say ‘hey it’s going to cost the taxpayer a little bit of money to build this rink,’” Edwards said. “But guess what, there’s going to be life in the city… we’re not building this just for the Raiders – if we choose to go ahead with it. It’s about hosting concerts, hosting major events, and that to me is exciting.”

Meanwhile Coun. Charlene Miller expressed doubt.

“I just don’t understand where all this money is going to come from,” she said. “This project [the large 4,500-seat arena] is unfunded at $60 million.”

Coun. Lennox-Zepp noted the city had already borrowed $16 million for the twin arenas and aquatic centre in phase one of the rec complex project.

“To consider more public funds, at this stage, I think is premature,” she said.

Council voted 6-3 to award the $3.2 million contract for the detailed design to a of pair of architectural firms from Toronto and Saskatoon. The money will come from a city reserve.

Those in favour were: councillors Blake Edwards, Ted Zurakowski, Dawn Kilmer, Don Cody and Dennis Ogrodnick and Mayor Greg Dionne. Those against were: Charlene Miller, Terra Lennox-Zepp and Tony Head.

Land deal approved

Also at Monday’s meeting, council decided to purchase seven additional acres of land from Signature Developments Corporation for parking at the complex. The same company sold the city 18 acres for the complex last year.

Council approved the new $2.5 million land deal, but not before hearing from a neighbouring developer who said he could sell the city the same amount of land at a reduced price.

Reg Fountaine told council he owned the land immediately north of the rec complex development and was prepared to offer them 7.88 acres for $2 million.

He said the fact members of Signature Developments Corporation sit on the rec complex steering committee represents “a conflict of interest” and puts him “at a significant disadvantage.

“I am asking council if they will consider delaying approval of the current proposed land purchase and develop a balanced approval process to consider my property as well,” Fountaine said.

Asked if he was willing to install services on the land, as Signature Developments had agreed to do, Fountaine said “absolutely.

“If there’s two parties submitting… let us both know what the needs are in terms of servicing and let us bid on it,” he said. “I have no issues with Signature Developments wanting to make the land deal as well… they have every right. All I’m looking for is fairness of process.”

Meanwhile Mayor Greg Dionne said Gord Broda and Russ Clunie of Signature Developments are “on the steering committee only as advisors.

“At no time were they present during discussion of this land purchase,” he said.

As for Fountaine’s offer, Dionne said the city had met with him previously and Monday was “the first time that Mr. Fountaine [had] offered to pay for the services.”

He added that the city had only considered Fountaine’s land when the campus-design option was being contemplated for the rec centre. With the move to a single-building design, purchasing land to the north no longer made sense, he said.

Council voted 6-3 to approve the land purchase from Signature Developments Corp. along the same lines as the detailed design decision.

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom

by Alison Sandstrom

Council buys more land and gets started on design of 4,500 seat arena

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