Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
Informative pictures Budyser. There is no question that the coliseum has had it's day as a performance venue. The time to build a new arena complex (note that I refrained from calling it a Metro centre) is now.
- We need more seating capacity.
- We need corporate boxes.
- We need a facility with a higher roof.
- We need better concession areas.
- We need an improved sound system.
- We need more capacity for the many events that the city is hosting (note that the Wildcats will likely end up playing more than half their playoff games at the J. Louis Levesque Arena because of scheduling conflicts).
The coliseum will continue to see good use because of it's relationship with the Agrena for conventions and trade shows. It will also serve as a back-up facility for the new arena. There is always a demand for ice surfaces in our city.
It will not be a waste to have both the coliseum and a new arena. |
I agree 100% with you on those points, Ill add:
- We need the arena to be downtown
- We need transit links
- We need close proximity to hotels, resturants and shopping for spin-off revenue
- We need a structure to be proud of, not some big box monstrosity
Heres and article from todays T&T from the viewpoint of one of the main event promoters in Eastern Canada, he also thinks the time is now.
Moncton needs a metro centre: promoter
Booking agent says downtown 15,000-seat venue would help draw bigger sports, entertainment events to Metro
BY ALAN COCHRANE
Published Friday February 6th, 2009
A new 15,000-seat downtown arena would help Moncton draw bigger entertainment and sports events, along with millions of dollars in economic spinoffs, the president of a major booking agency said yesterday.
"Moncton definitely needs a new venue. The one you have is not adequate for the acts we would like to bring there," Jacques Aubé, president of the Montreal-based Gillett Entertainment Group said yesterday. "Right now there are certain shows that we aren't able to bring to Moncton because the ceiling is too low, the clock is in the way and it doesn't have enough seats."
The Moncton Coliseum, which was built in the 1970s, has a low-sloping ceiling. It seats about 4,500 for hockey games and more than 7,000 for concerts, depending on the configuration. The adjacent agrena complex includes large spaces for trade shows, conventions and special events.
"The Elton John show was fantastic and proved Moncton can really pack 'em in," said Aube, who was in Moncton last fall. While in Moncton, he visited the Coliseum, the Magnetic Hill concert site and other venues used for hosting concerts and events.
The Elton John show, which was promoted and organized by GEG, broke three records for the Coliseum, including an attendance record of 8,704 people and gross sales of well over $1 million. But in today's concert business, promoters are looking for bigger venues that can generate more gross income to help cover the rising overhead costs of manpower, fuel, electricity and other factors. Gillett also presented concerts by Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, Simple Plan, Lenny Kravitz and the Australian Pink Floyd band in Moncton.
"You have great fans in Moncton, they are very culturally inclined and enjoy all kinds of shows," Aube said, adding Moncton's demographics and bilingual nature make it ideal for promoters to plan shows.
Aubé wouldn't say which bands he couldn't fit in to the Coliseum, but his company presents many shows at the Montreal Bell Centre, which holds about 15,000. Some of those acts include Celine Dion, Fleetwood Mac, the Disney Ice Show and a monster truck event.
Aubé said a downtown multi-use facility that could seat 12,000 to 15,000 would be a good investment for Metro Moncton. The idea has already been endorsed by the city, the provincial government and local representatives of the federal government. Premier Shawn Graham has said he wants to help make Moncton the entertainment centre of Atlantic Canada and pledged his support for a metro centre.
Officials have said the arena would not replace the Coliseum, but complement it. The centre could be used to stage sporting events, concerts and other entertainment that would likely draw audiences from all over New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, creating economic spinoffs for hotels, restaurants, gas stations, retailers and many other businesses.
The City of Moncton has already hired a consultant to look at what kind of facility would be best. Although no exact location for the building has been specified, three downtown areas have been identified as possibilities.
He said a larger building in Moncton would help promoters line up mini-tours of Atlantic Canada that would also include stops in Halifax and Saint John. A larger building would mean promoters could promise acts more money, which is important when considering the cost of touring. Large bands usually travel with several tractor-trailers worth of gear, along with buses for the band and crews. This is expensive, especially if they have to travel all the way from Boston or Montreal to a small market like Atlantic Canada. Having bigger arenas to fill means there is more money to make it worthwhile for the touring companies.
Aubé said it would be important for the city to make sure a new arena has the flexibility to handle a variety of entertainment and sporting events. Big bands and circus performers need high ceilings. They also need good access to dressing rooms, merchandising kiosks, food service, rigging towers, Internet and phone lines, staging and loading doors that allow a quick roll in and roll out of equipment. Touring groups want to be able to set up quickly and tear down immediately after the show, put the gear in the trucks and hit the road for the next gig.
Aubé even offered the experience of his production experts to help plan the building.
"I think that would be a win-win situation."
- A few points of mine regarding that article:
- The T&T needs to research things i.e. seating capacitys of arenas. The Coliseum seats 6,500 for hockey not 4,500, and the Bell Center has a 22,000 capicity.
- The T&T needs to stop using the "Metro Center" moniker
- The T&T needs to realize that 15,000 seats is
WAY too massive for a market like Moncton, and we will most likely see one in the 10-12,000 range.
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