Regina - Downtown Catalyst Projects Discussion

[cityboy]

Originally Posted by Festivus

Leave it to Regina to finally put something important downtown...and then likely choose the worst location that requires demolishing a bunch of decent buildings (instead of the near-empty lot on a main drag). Based on Regina's entire existence and history being based on land scandals, I can only assume someone knows someone who owns some land and will make a bunch of money.

If this actually happens I will lose all remaining hope for this city. We have already carved out just about every last bit of soul that there was in the downtown and tearing down some of the remaining functional heritage buildings would be just about the last straw. There is no logical argument for this, other than a cash grab as you say!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Totally predictable

Any city that has built a downtown arena has gone through this NIMBY rigamarole. There won't be excessive noise, there won't be parking hassles. Downtown Regina can easily handle 10,000 fans for an arena event.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by cityboy

If this actually happens I will lose all remaining hope for this city. We have already carved out just about every last bit of soul that there was in the downtown and tearing down some of the remaining functional heritage buildings would be just about the last straw. There is no logical argument for this, other than a cash grab as you say!

Maybe Prairie Dog has received bad leaked info and that is not the #1 option at all.

[Stormer]

I agree that parking is not an issue downtown. There are more than 10,000 spots downtown, mostly unused during arena events. The Arena would need less than 5000.

[Newstart]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Maybe Prairie Dog has received bad leaked info and that is not the #1 option at all.

Its the word on the street. I was aware this was the preferred location several weeks ago.

[Newstart]

Originally Posted by esquire

Any city that has built a downtown arena has gone through this NIMBY rigamarole. There won't be excessive noise, there won't be parking hassles. Downtown Regina can easily handle 10,000 fans for an arena event.

Having lived in Downtown Calgary, Vancouver, and stayed in hotels next to stadiums across North America, no there will be loud noises, there will be parking hassles, there will be traffic issues.

BUT that being said, if you want a quiet little idylic life like the person bemoaning perhaps the Burbs are a better location. I personally love the vibrancy and vigor that comes with being around an Arena or Stadium. Traffic always is an issue when a game or event gets out. Noise? always happens. But thats part of Urban Life!

[cityboy]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Maybe Prairie Dog has received bad leaked info and that is not the #1 option at all.

That was my hope but the rumour doesn't seem to be going away, and is supported by the question on the survey that asks about support for the library and arena being next to one another. Unless of course that is where the rumour started and instead the preferred spot for the arena/new RPL is side by side, but on Broad or somewhere else.

[cityboy]

Originally Posted by Newstart

Having lived in Downtown Calgary, Vancouver, and stayed in hotels next to stadiums across North America, no there will be loud noises, there will be parking hassles, there will be traffic issues.

BUT that being said, if you want a quiet little idylic life like the person bemoaning perhaps the Burbs are a better location. I personally love the vibrancy and vigor that comes with being around an Arena or Stadium. Traffic always is an issue when a game or event gets out. Noise? always happens. But thats part of Urban Life!

I'm starting to think that there are very few people in this city that actually want an urban environment.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Newstart

Having lived in Downtown Calgary, Vancouver, and stayed in hotels next to stadiums across North America, no there will be loud noises, there will be parking hassles, there will be traffic issues.

BUT that being said, if you want a quiet little idylic life like the person bemoaning perhaps the Burbs are a better location. I personally love the vibrancy and vigor that comes with being around an Arena or Stadium. Traffic always is an issue when a game or event gets out. Noise? always happens. But thats part of Urban Life!

Noise in the form of people on the sidewalks for 20 minutes after the game is over. Certainly nothing that will disturb people living in their residences.

Downtown Regina has more than enough parking to accommodate an arena crowd. So what do you mean by "parking hassles"?

[Newstart]

Originally Posted by cityboy

I'm starting to think that there are very few people in this city that actually want an urban environment.

It doesn't matter where you are...this kind of noise always happens from the vocal minority.

I think Regina is going to have an urban environment sooner rather than later. Its going to take a non-regina developer and/or a big fund to believe in the opportunity and kick something off.

[StealthGirl]

Because "there isn't enough parking" really just means "there isn't free parking 6' from the door of where I'm going.

I don't think not wanting this arena in the middle of downtown is necessarily anti-urban. I think if people really believed it was going on the east side of downtown, reception might be different. But this is Regina where we quickly take down buildings instead of building on under-used empty lots.

[cityboy]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

Because "there isn't enough parking" really just means "there isn't free parking 6' from the door of where I'm going.

I don't think not wanting this arena in the middle of downtown is necessarily anti-urban. I think if people really believed it was going on the east side of downtown, reception might be different. But this is Regina where we quickly take down buildings instead of building on under-used empty lots.

Agreed 100%. Like others, I'm very skeptical that arenas truly are any kind of revitalization catalysts. But if it were to fill in a gaping hole on Broad without displacing anything else further, I can't see it as anything but a positive.

[CCF]

Originally Posted by cityboy

Agreed 100%. Like others, I'm very skeptical that arenas truly are any kind of revitalization catalysts. But if it were to fill in a gaping hole on Broad without displacing anything else further, I can't see it as anything but a positive.

This Committee is making their job more difficult by selecting a block that has valuable heritage buildings. If they selected a block on Rose/Broad, I'm sure they would have a much easier time getting buy-in.

[Stormer]

Now that I look more closely, I think they could preserve the 2 heritage buildings on 12th and may be able to fit an arena to the north. They may not be able to save this former school board building though:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.449273,-1...eW_g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&authuser=0

I assume this is a heritage building.

[StealthGirl]

I think it's really hard to sell anyone when you won't answer questions and be transparent about what's really going on. Just tell us what the sites are; I'm pretty sure the landowner is probably on the Cat Committee anyway so that whole oh, the price will go up is just garbage. They aren't this far in without the landowner being aware their land is a possibility. I think Hawkins sounded pretty defensive today during the Q&A when questioned by Trish Elliot (Cathedral Community Assoc) about the city's priorities.

PDCity Hall has a pretty good thread on it:
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23yqrcc&src=typed_query&f=live

[Stormer]

Does anyone else think $173 million for an aquatics centre is... absolutely insane? It will also lose $5.3 million per year on operations according to the study so add at least another $100 million to that in present value.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Does anyone else think $173 million for an aquatics centre is... absolutely insane? It will also lose $5.3 million per year on operations according to the study so add at least another $100 million to that in present value.

Maybe because of the 2 competitive swimming pools PLUS the water park side?

[jigglysquishy]

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[LuluBobo]

I think tearing down a bunch of heritage buildings makes no sense.

Broad Street is ugly and in desperate need of new development. Have the west side be the arena and the east side be a strip of restaurants.

[esquire]

It wouldn't take much. No one would be expecting Times Square to materialize along Broad. Just a nice row of low-rise, one to three storey commercial buildings, restaurants, etc. near the arena would be fine.