Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan
I also find this portion of your post troublesome... Anytime you develop an area downtown with new residential or a new office building you make an already conjested area even more congested... Or are you suggesting we should not develop downtown anymore and let it slowly fade/die?
|
No, quite the opposite. I would strongly support economically viable, sustainable development in that area. Since the dome is likely not viable or sustainable, that's another reason not to stuff it in there. The problem - as we will see unfold over time - is that this project will be reliant on soft tax dollars, likely made to appear as if they coming from gambling profits. So the location won't be about common sense, it will be about trying to reward the casino.
Placing a giant structure that is expensive to maintain and will sit empty most of the time is a blown opportunity for what could go there.
Imagine if the development of that area went to projects that had to stand on their own feet, rather than be artificially propped up by public funds and back room manipulation.
I'm talking about businesses, residences and actual entertainment (ie non gambing) projects that have to be viable have to be well planned and executed and will have to make sense. And because they would be sensible, they would also be successful. The potential of that area is about to be squashed under a green and white elephant.
Imagine that area becoming home to thousands of new residents, workers employed in and around the downtown. Rather than commute from Harbour Landing, wasting time, creating pollution and traffic congestion, these residents could stroll to work over a pleasant system of outdoor paths and indoor walkways. Imagine new restaurants, food stores, and service-based businesses sprouting up to serve this growing community.
And ten times per year, these residents could make the 3 minute journey to the Taylor field site and watch the Rider game at a moderately and sensibly renovated historical stadium. These people could also make that same 3 minute journey to enjoy the aquatic center, the fieldhouse, the hockey complex, the soccer facility, a renovated Agridome. Giant trade shows will continue to be held at the vast area of the exhibition grounds, and the Rolling Stones size shows will continue to visit the outdoor stadium if they sense there's a few million bucks to be made off the populace.
Now wipe that beautiful image from your mind and replace it with a concrete donut that will sit empty most of the time. Think of the facilities around the city and province that will fall into decline as their budgets get slashed so that we can afford to heat and cool the empty donut.
The city recently contracted true experts to advise them on how to revitalize the downtown. These experts took the proper time and used a non-biased and objective approach. You'll note these experts did *not* recommend dropping a dome stadium on top of the downtown. They talked about increasing the residency and diversity of the area, and about specific ways of improving the flow both externally and internally. This stadium plan is nearly opposite of the sensible, intelligent advice they received.