Post by Max on Apr 3, 2007 14:58:21 GMT -3
Rumour has Wolves buying Sudbury arena; City would then use cash for multi-pad facility
St.Pierre, Denis
Local News - Tuesday, April 03, 2007 @ 11:00
Last month, a City of Greater Sudbury delegation went on a fact-finding tour of southern Ontario locales, getting a first-hand look at multi-pad arenas and sports complexes developed by various municipalities.
The trip (which was not publicized by the city) was one of the first orders of business for one of city council's new advisory panels, set up at the behest of Mayor John Rodriguez to pursue a number of ambitious, large-scale development projects.
Members of council's recreational complex advisory panel went on last month's fact-finding tour as part of their mandate to devise a development plan for a multi-use facility. Such a complex, which would include multiple ice pads along with other amenities, has long been lacking in our city, many sports enthusiasts say.
Noting that many communities across the country have boasted such facilities for years, some critics attribute Greater Sudbury's failure to develop a multi-sport complex to an absence of vision, commitment and courage by past political leaders.
Sure, such a complex carries a prohibitive pricetag, but that hasn't prevented other communities - some smaller than Sudbury - from getting the job done, critics say.
For his part, our new mayor has indicated he also believes the financing challenge can be overcome, with significant help from senior levels of government, coupled with creative partnerships and funding schemes.
What that will mean, precisely, is for city council's advisory panel to determine over the next few months.
However, one financing scenario making the rounds at city hall could be as intriguing for council as it would be controversial in the community at large.
A number of municipal sources confirm there have been discussions over the implications of selling Sudbury Community Arena to the city-owned facility's major tenant - the Sudbury Wolves hockey club. In fact, one source indicates a ballpark purchase price already has been bandied about - somewhere in the $8-million range.
"It's still at the preliminary stages," said one city hall source. "A lot of things have to happen before (council) would ever make a decision on it."
Such a scenario is intriguing for some city councillors because a sale could provide millions of dollars the municipality could use to invest in a multi-sport complex, said another source. At the same time, the city could save about $250,000 annually, he said, referring to the net operating cost incurred at Sudbury Community Arena.
The downside could include the potential backlash from residents and organizations opposed to the sale of one of the city's most-cherished, community-owned assets, as well as the impact a privately-run arena would have on user groups.
Sudbury Wolves executives could not be reached for comment after the arena information came to light, late Monday afternoon.
Another city source said Monday he doubts the municipality will get a purchase offer that is high enough to satisfy council and taxpayers.
"There may be people who are dreaming about it, but they may be dreaming in Technicolor," he said. "I don't know if we will ever get there. I don't even know if it's a possibility. There's a lot of unanswered questions. It's still an abstract concept, as far as I'm concerned."
Selling the venerable downtown arena "could provide some money to build that (multi-pad complex)," said another source. "(But) if they really hope to get it, I think they'd have to come up with more money."
A purchase offer for the arena would not be the first - or even the second - time the Wolves organization has expressed interest in making a significant investment in the facility.
Once this spring's playoff run comes to an end, the Ontario Hockey League club will launch construction on a $1.5-million renovation of the arena. The project will transform the arena's north side into 12 corporate boxes, nearly 1,000 club seats and other amenities, to provide the club with more revenue.
The Wolves group is paying for the upgrades in return for a long-term lease for the new boxes and for operating rights to concessions.
The project was first proposed in 2002, when the hockey club announced it would spend $2.5-million on a plan featuring 14 corporate boxes that would be ready as early as the 2003-04 OHL season.
The Wolves had indicated interest in redeveloping the arena as early as 1999, when the club submitted a bid to the city to transform the facility into a multi-pad complex. The Wolves' plan would see the club operate the redeveloped facility, while paying the city $300,000 per year over 15 years.
The hockey club was one of five private groups that answered the City of Sudbury's call for proposals to develop a multi-pad complex, either at Sudbury Community Arena or at Countryside Arena in the south end.
The city came up with the plan after commissioning a consultant's report that confirmed the rationale of building a multi-pad complex as a more-efficient alternative to its old, stand-alone arenas.
In what has become a hallmark of municipal decision-making, city council ultimately decided, in 2000, not to make a decision on the matter. Instead, council deemed it best to leave the decision to the provincially appointed transition board devising the structure of the amalgamated City of Greater Sudbury that would come into effect in 2001.
The transition board, in turn, studied the issue and concluded a multi-pad arena complex was a good idea. But the tough decisions, such as financing arrangements and choosing an appropriate site, should be left to the next city council, the board said.
Presumably as a result of the upheaval created by amalgamation, neither the new council nor its successor ever got around to resolving the issue. The biggest, related decision made by council in that time was to close two community arenas, in 2003.
St.Pierre, Denis
Local News - Tuesday, April 03, 2007 @ 11:00
Last month, a City of Greater Sudbury delegation went on a fact-finding tour of southern Ontario locales, getting a first-hand look at multi-pad arenas and sports complexes developed by various municipalities.
The trip (which was not publicized by the city) was one of the first orders of business for one of city council's new advisory panels, set up at the behest of Mayor John Rodriguez to pursue a number of ambitious, large-scale development projects.
Members of council's recreational complex advisory panel went on last month's fact-finding tour as part of their mandate to devise a development plan for a multi-use facility. Such a complex, which would include multiple ice pads along with other amenities, has long been lacking in our city, many sports enthusiasts say.
Noting that many communities across the country have boasted such facilities for years, some critics attribute Greater Sudbury's failure to develop a multi-sport complex to an absence of vision, commitment and courage by past political leaders.
Sure, such a complex carries a prohibitive pricetag, but that hasn't prevented other communities - some smaller than Sudbury - from getting the job done, critics say.
For his part, our new mayor has indicated he also believes the financing challenge can be overcome, with significant help from senior levels of government, coupled with creative partnerships and funding schemes.
What that will mean, precisely, is for city council's advisory panel to determine over the next few months.
However, one financing scenario making the rounds at city hall could be as intriguing for council as it would be controversial in the community at large.
A number of municipal sources confirm there have been discussions over the implications of selling Sudbury Community Arena to the city-owned facility's major tenant - the Sudbury Wolves hockey club. In fact, one source indicates a ballpark purchase price already has been bandied about - somewhere in the $8-million range.
"It's still at the preliminary stages," said one city hall source. "A lot of things have to happen before (council) would ever make a decision on it."
Such a scenario is intriguing for some city councillors because a sale could provide millions of dollars the municipality could use to invest in a multi-sport complex, said another source. At the same time, the city could save about $250,000 annually, he said, referring to the net operating cost incurred at Sudbury Community Arena.
The downside could include the potential backlash from residents and organizations opposed to the sale of one of the city's most-cherished, community-owned assets, as well as the impact a privately-run arena would have on user groups.
Sudbury Wolves executives could not be reached for comment after the arena information came to light, late Monday afternoon.
Another city source said Monday he doubts the municipality will get a purchase offer that is high enough to satisfy council and taxpayers.
"There may be people who are dreaming about it, but they may be dreaming in Technicolor," he said. "I don't know if we will ever get there. I don't even know if it's a possibility. There's a lot of unanswered questions. It's still an abstract concept, as far as I'm concerned."
Selling the venerable downtown arena "could provide some money to build that (multi-pad complex)," said another source. "(But) if they really hope to get it, I think they'd have to come up with more money."
A purchase offer for the arena would not be the first - or even the second - time the Wolves organization has expressed interest in making a significant investment in the facility.
Once this spring's playoff run comes to an end, the Ontario Hockey League club will launch construction on a $1.5-million renovation of the arena. The project will transform the arena's north side into 12 corporate boxes, nearly 1,000 club seats and other amenities, to provide the club with more revenue.
The Wolves group is paying for the upgrades in return for a long-term lease for the new boxes and for operating rights to concessions.
The project was first proposed in 2002, when the hockey club announced it would spend $2.5-million on a plan featuring 14 corporate boxes that would be ready as early as the 2003-04 OHL season.
The Wolves had indicated interest in redeveloping the arena as early as 1999, when the club submitted a bid to the city to transform the facility into a multi-pad complex. The Wolves' plan would see the club operate the redeveloped facility, while paying the city $300,000 per year over 15 years.
The hockey club was one of five private groups that answered the City of Sudbury's call for proposals to develop a multi-pad complex, either at Sudbury Community Arena or at Countryside Arena in the south end.
The city came up with the plan after commissioning a consultant's report that confirmed the rationale of building a multi-pad complex as a more-efficient alternative to its old, stand-alone arenas.
In what has become a hallmark of municipal decision-making, city council ultimately decided, in 2000, not to make a decision on the matter. Instead, council deemed it best to leave the decision to the provincially appointed transition board devising the structure of the amalgamated City of Greater Sudbury that would come into effect in 2001.
The transition board, in turn, studied the issue and concluded a multi-pad arena complex was a good idea. But the tough decisions, such as financing arrangements and choosing an appropriate site, should be left to the next city council, the board said.
Presumably as a result of the upheaval created by amalgamation, neither the new council nor its successor ever got around to resolving the issue. The biggest, related decision made by council in that time was to close two community arenas, in 2003.