[Moncton] Centre Avenir Centre | 26.65m |~6 Fl | Completed

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by stephan.richard

Look when I think of the parking situation for the new events center makes me laugh when i hear some folks will not support the Wildcats due to parking, Look folks there is plenty of parking available downtown to accommodate virtually everyone that wants to go to an event there, But I don't know why Monctonians are soo afraid to walk a few blocks in the winter. As one guy said on one board we can accomodate 100K for a The Santa Claus parade downtown. I moved from Moncton to Regina and on some Roughriders games there is very limited on site parking and folks either have to walk or even take public transportation to the game. Also when people say that the city should build a parking garage I find that there is tremendous cost associated to it like 15-20K per parking spot to build and to maintain. To recoup the cost of a parking garage of such a scale would be heavy and instead of charging 4-7 bucks a game it could be 10-15 bucks a game on top of the cost of your ticket, So one thing as in Tom said earlier suck it up and you guys have a brand new arena and stop whining if you have to walk 5-10 minutes to the rink.. Fresh winter air won't kill you.

flyer99 said that his company (and many others) open their parking lots to patrons of the Santa Claus Parade in the spirit of the season. He also said that they would not do the same for people going to paid events at the downtown centre like Wildcats fans.

I am not afraid of walking a number of blocks to an event at the downtown centre, especially if it were a special event like cirque soleil but I would consider this a considerable hassle to have to do this for a recurring event like Wildcats games (which can potential occur as frequently as 3x weekly) in January or February.

I am a seasons ticket holder, but I am not a rabid fan, and, for a variety of reasons (like being on call at the hospital), I frequently miss 15 or so of the 34 home games. I have been on the fence over cancelling my seasons tickets for the last several years. Unless Irving can find me secured parking close to the events centre, I will likely not renew my subscription.

I know a number of elderly seasons ticket holders who also are seriously thinking of not renewing (mostly because of age and infirmity). I think there is a real risk that the Wildcats could lose at least 30-50% of their seasons ticket base. They will undoubtedly pick up some new fans because of the improved experience at the events centre, but there is a real risk to the Wildcats business plan by not addressing the parking situation.

[stephan.richard]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

flyer99 said that his company (and many others) open their parking lots to patrons of the Santa Claus Parade in the spirit of the season. He also said that they would not do the same for people going to paid events at the downtown centre like Wildcats fans.

I am not afraid of walking a number of blocks to an event at the downtown centre, especially if it were a special event like cirque soleil but I would consider this a considerable hassle to have to do this for a recurring event like Wildcats games (which can potential occur as frequently as 3x weekly) in January or February.

I am a seasons ticket holder, but I am not a rabid fan, and, for a variety of reasons (like being on call at the hospital), I frequently miss 15 or so of the 34 home games. I have been on the fence over cancelling my seasons tickets for the last several years. Unless Irving can find me secured parking close to the events centre, I will likely not renew my subscription.

I know a number of elderly seasons ticket holders who also are seriously thinking of not renewing (mostly because of age and infirmity). I think there is a real risk that the Wildcats could lose at least 30-50% of their seasons ticket base. They will undoubtedly pick up some new fans because of the improved experience at the events centre, but there is a real risk to the Wildcats business plan by not addressing the parking situation.

Those are some valid points but the way i look at the situation the Wildcats will lose some eleder season ticket holders but they may gain some new season ticket holders with some of the younger crowd that works downtown. But when i look at the elder season ticket holders in the Halifax area they have to walk from any of the parking garages downtown Halifax to the Scotiabank Center and often times in the same conditions as we have in Moncton and that is not stopping them to show up to a game.

Also coming to the point of winter conditions when we have a snow storm or its a cold day it almost as risky to walk the parking lot at the existing Coliseum and I can say this with experience being a past season ticket holder for the past 9 years.

I knew parking was going to be a hotbed topic but there is plenty of spots available downtown for the average Wildcats game and the city could run dedicated shuttles from different points in town to the events center.

[lirette]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

flyer99 said that his company (and many others) open their parking lots to patrons of the Santa Claus Parade in the spirit of the season. He also said that they would not do the same for people going to paid events at the downtown centre like Wildcats fans.

I am not afraid of walking a number of blocks to an event at the downtown centre, especially if it were a special event like cirque soleil but I would consider this a considerable hassle to have to do this for a recurring event like Wildcats games (which can potential occur as frequently as 3x weekly) in January or February.

I am a seasons ticket holder, but I am not a rabid fan, and, for a variety of reasons (like being on call at the hospital), I frequently miss 15 or so of the 34 home games. I have been on the fence over cancelling my seasons tickets for the last several years. Unless Irving can find me secured parking close to the events centre, I will likely not renew my subscription.

I know a number of elderly seasons ticket holders who also are seriously thinking of not renewing (mostly because of age and infirmity). I think there is a real risk that the Wildcats could lose at least 30-50% of their seasons ticket base. They will undoubtedly pick up some new fans because of the improved experience at the events centre, but there is a real risk to the Wildcats business plan by not addressing the parking situation.

I guess what I'm wondering is if the elderly concerned about the walking will actually ever be happy with the situation. There isn't exactly tons of space around the events centre itself, and I'd prefer to see development of restaurants, hotels (like the hyatt) and mixed residential in that area as its already abit too industrial looking at the moment.

If they put $20M into a new parking garage on the old co-op lot, it'd make a lot of sense as that isn't an area that draws large crowds. but these same complainers likely find that walk to still be too far for them. They may be lost regardless. I get the feeling the only way these people would be happy is if the garage was connected to the centre itself, and will also complain about the cost per game anyways. Distance is roughly 800 metres, 4X that of the furthest spot in the coliseum.

[CodiacRon]

Has consideration been given to using the old CN Parking Lot off West Main St. by the Nissan dealership. It's only a few blocks away and would be a quick shuttle ride?

[Scarface]

I vote for a Parking garage, or two Downtown. It would eliviate parking issues, and would hopefully stop the city from pushing local news from pushing a false narative. I.E. there list of "Public parking" most of this list where either Employees only, or Monthly parking pass holders only parking.

I will say if they don't figure something out before opening day it will be nothing more then a shit show when it comes to parking, and not being either ticketed, and/or booted by the boot nazi's.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by lirette

I guess what I'm wondering is if the elderly concerned about the walking will actually ever be happy with the situation. There isn't exactly tons of space around the events centre itself, and I'd prefer to see development of restaurants, hotels (like the hyatt) and mixed residential in that area as its already abit too industrial looking at the moment.

If they put $20M into a new parking garage on the old co-op lot, it'd make a lot of sense as that isn't an area that draws large crowds. but these same complainers likely find that walk to still be too far for them. They may be lost regardless. I get the feeling the only way these people would be happy is if the garage was connected to the centre itself, and will also complain about the cost per game anyways. Distance is roughly 800 metres, 4X that of the furthest spot in the coliseum.

I agree wholeheartedly. The land immediately adjacent to the events centre is too valuable for a parking structure. I'm delighted about the new Hyatt Hotel. It's a perfect location, and with a branded restaurant as part of the project, this will really help to give the whole entrance plaza area a real vibe. The whole west end of Main Street should be promoted for retail, residential or commercial development.

Any parking garages belong on the south side of the CNR main line. There are several places down there that could be considered. The distance to the events centre could easily be reduced considerably by building a pedestrian overpass or tunnel across the rail ROW.

A pedestrian crossing (in addition to the parking structures) would also do a lot to make the whole area to the west and the south of Heritage Court a lot more attractive for development. The rail line cuts the downtown into two. A new pedestrian crossing would knit the two halves of downtown back together again.

Again, I'm not attempting to be contrarian about the events centre project. This development is key to the future of the entire downtown. This needed to be built downtown and it's wonderful that it is being built downtown. My concern is that the city has not finished the job. Parking is and will remain an issue until it is addressed. We need parking structures south of the rail line and a pedestrian overpass (or tunnel) to access them. By doing this, the whole area south of Main would benefit. More development would be sure to follow. Everyone (and I mean everyone, even the cycling enthusiasts) wants to see a dense downtown core devoid of surface parking, with lots of mixed development projects including residential, and sufficient parking structures to service the city's needs.

We all want the same thing. It's just the matter of how we end up getting there.......

[McKay]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The populace of the greater Moncton area isn't stupid. They know that there is a problem with parking in the downtown.
...
I'm sure that the planners in city hall look out their window, see surface parking everywhere, and think to themselves that there can't be a problem, and that people are simply being hysterical.

The city staff, of course, would mostly be part of the populace of Greater Moncton. (Don't worry — you're far from being the first person to forget that public servants are also members of the public.)

[flyer99]

City councilor Greg Turner's Facebook comments all from posts made by many in regard to the parking issue in The Huddle on March 9th by the HotSpot app CEO (no bias here):

"The City had a strategy done last year , which will be the blueprint moving forward . The Parking Dispersal plan will be released in May and communicated to the public in the months and weeks leading up to the official opening this fall . There was a new , very wide sidewalk added to the west side of Foundry Street last summer . ( This will allow the safe passage of Event patrons from the Albert and Foundry Street area ) As well , the Bus lay-by on Main Street ( which is adjacent the main entrance) , was expanded from five to eleven , to accommodate the expected increased ridership to the Downtown Centre . These are just two examples of improvements that will assist patrons to enjoy their experience to the fullest . The Company who did the Strategy, are the same team that assisted Vancouver with the Olympics and Toronto with the Pan Am Games . We must all remember that this Facility will serve us for decades and the face of Downtown will evolve tremendously as our City continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth ."

"The City , SMG Canada and Moncton Wildcats are working out details with all the major land owners in downtown Moncton, leading up to the release of the Strategy . The Wildcats have already confirmed three Lots that they have agreements confirmed with , to their Season Ticket Holders ."

"We have no issues attracting and accommodating 1,000’s of visitors each year to events such as the Santa Claus Parade , Atlantic Nationals and Canada Day Festivities, to name just a few . Of course , these events usually involve major Street closures which drastically affects Codiac Transpo , while we will see all streets and busses flowing smoothly before , during and after all events ."

"Of course , not all Events will be a sellout , based on the history at the Coliseum . The rule of thumb is that the average car will have 2.4 occupants in it , so a crowd of 6,000 would need parking for approximately 2,500 vehicles. Of course many people will use public transit and many will walk from the Hotels in the Downtown core area . The Coliseum only has parking space to accommodate 1,800 cars , so any event attracting 4,400 or more , spills over into the adjoining neighbourhood."

"The three Lots that the Wildcats confirmed at their Town Hall Meeting last week with their Season Ticket holders , were all located closer than the furthest spots in the Coliseum Lot . At the most , a 3-4 minute walk . From the front door of the Capitol Theatre to the main entrance of the Downtown Centre is 6-7 minutes , exactly the same time it takes from the far west side of the Coliseum parking lot ."

"The Wildcats said that they are still negotiating with a number of private lots and will continue updating season ticket holders as plans are finalized ."

"The City has commissioned a traffic Dispersal Strategy, which will be rolled out starting in May and throughout the next four months until the opening in the Fall ."

From these comments it appears that Mr. Turner agrees with the City in general that there is "nothing to see here, move on." We have it all figured out." Judge for yourselves. There is hot debate on Facebook on the parking issue! And, yes, there is a huge issue that exists that MUST be addressed and soon!

[lirette]

Fun speculation..

Cirque du Soleil : Corteo tour schedule currently stops August 22-26 in Indianapolis, IN and has nothing again until December at Videotron Centre

The show has dates at the Meridian Centre & The K-Rock Centre which are both SMG venues.

I've seen 2 Cirque shows in Vegas and these performers are world class.

Make it happen SMG!

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by flyer99

City councilor Greg Turner's Facebook comments all from posts made by many in regard to the parking issue in The Huddle on March 9th by the HotSpot app CEO (no bias here):

"The City had a strategy done last year , which will be the blueprint moving forward . The Parking Dispersal plan will be released in May and communicated to the public in the months and weeks leading up to the official opening this fall . There was a new , very wide sidewalk added to the west side of Foundry Street last summer . ( This will allow the safe passage of Event patrons from the Albert and Foundry Street area ) As well , the Bus lay-by on Main Street ( which is adjacent the main entrance) , was expanded from five to eleven , to accommodate the expected increased ridership to the Downtown Centre . These are just two examples of improvements that will assist patrons to enjoy their experience to the fullest . The Company who did the Strategy, are the same team that assisted Vancouver with the Olympics and Toronto with the Pan Am Games . We must all remember that this Facility will serve us for decades and the face of Downtown will evolve tremendously as our City continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth ."

"The City , SMG Canada and Moncton Wildcats are working out details with all the major land owners in downtown Moncton, leading up to the release of the Strategy . The Wildcats have already confirmed three Lots that they have agreements confirmed with , to their Season Ticket Holders ."

"We have no issues attracting and accommodating 1,000’s of visitors each year to events such as the Santa Claus Parade , Atlantic Nationals and Canada Day Festivities, to name just a few . Of course , these events usually involve major Street closures which drastically affects Codiac Transpo , while we will see all streets and busses flowing smoothly before , during and after all events ."

"Of course , not all Events will be a sellout , based on the history at the Coliseum . The rule of thumb is that the average car will have 2.4 occupants in it , so a crowd of 6,000 would need parking for approximately 2,500 vehicles. Of course many people will use public transit and many will walk from the Hotels in the Downtown core area . The Coliseum only has parking space to accommodate 1,800 cars , so any event attracting 4,400 or more , spills over into the adjoining neighbourhood."

"The three Lots that the Wildcats confirmed at their Town Hall Meeting last week with their Season Ticket holders , were all located closer than the furthest spots in the Coliseum Lot . At the most , a 3-4 minute walk . From the front door of the Capitol Theatre to the main entrance of the Downtown Centre is 6-7 minutes , exactly the same time it takes from the far west side of the Coliseum parking lot ."

"The Wildcats said that they are still negotiating with a number of private lots and will continue updating season ticket holders as plans are finalized ."

"The City has commissioned a traffic Dispersal Strategy, which will be rolled out starting in May and throughout the next four months until the opening in the Fall ."

From these comments it appears that Mr. Turner agrees with the City in general that there is "nothing to see here, move on." We have it all figured out." Judge for yourselves. There is hot debate on Facebook on the parking issue! And, yes, there is a huge issue that exists that MUST be addressed and soon!

I do find it funny, a lot of people thinking nobody wants to walk, but right now people walk pretty fart from the other end of the parking lot and than sit in a traffic jam for half an hour. I’d have no problem walking a little further if I didn’t have to wait in traffic for so long. While I agree a parking garage is absolutely necessary, I don’t think it’s as big of an issue as people make it seem.

[felip_ars]

Originally Posted by lirette

Fun speculation..

Cirque du Soleil : Corteo tour schedule currently stops August 22-26 in Indianapolis, IN and has nothing again until December at Videotron Centre

The show has dates at the Meridian Centre & The K-Rock Centre which are both SMG venues.

I've seen 2 Cirque shows in Vegas and these performers are world class.

Make it happen SMG!

You can bet that Cirque du Soleil will make their way to Moncton. It was one of the event that the City was telling that they were missing because of the old Coliseum.

It'll be interesting to see the response when they come. I guess they need to make multiple presentations to be profitable, as Kingston have 8 in total, and none of them are close to selling out (and they have a population similar to Moncton).

Plus at the average tickets price of 100$, people will maybe wait for "the concert they want" to spend their money/take day off for.

One type of events that could be a success is the "Disney on Ice" tour. You put that during March Break, and it's literally printing money! In Montreal, they usually get over 10k per show, and judging by all the Disney bags I see in the subway, they also spend a lot on merch!

[Sunnybrae]

Originally Posted by flyer99

City councilor Greg Turner's Facebook comments all from posts made by many in regard to the parking issue in The Huddle on March 9th by the HotSpot app CEO (no bias here):

"The City had a strategy done last year , which will be the blueprint moving forward . The Parking Dispersal plan will be released in May and communicated to the public in the months and weeks leading up to the official opening this fall . There was a new , very wide sidewalk added to the west side of Foundry Street last summer . ( This will allow the safe passage of Event patrons from the Albert and Foundry Street area ) As well , the Bus lay-by on Main Street ( which is adjacent the main entrance) , was expanded from five to eleven , to accommodate the expected increased ridership to the Downtown Centre . These are just two examples of improvements that will assist patrons to enjoy their experience to the fullest . The Company who did the Strategy, are the same team that assisted Vancouver with the Olympics and Toronto with the Pan Am Games . We must all remember that this Facility will serve us for decades and the face of Downtown will evolve tremendously as our City continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth ."

"The City , SMG Canada and Moncton Wildcats are working out details with all the major land owners in downtown Moncton, leading up to the release of the Strategy . The Wildcats have already confirmed three Lots that they have agreements confirmed with , to their Season Ticket Holders ."

"We have no issues attracting and accommodating 1,000’s of visitors each year to events such as the Santa Claus Parade , Atlantic Nationals and Canada Day Festivities, to name just a few . Of course , these events usually involve major Street closures which drastically affects Codiac Transpo , while we will see all streets and busses flowing smoothly before , during and after all events ."

"Of course , not all Events will be a sellout , based on the history at the Coliseum . The rule of thumb is that the average car will have 2.4 occupants in it , so a crowd of 6,000 would need parking for approximately 2,500 vehicles. Of course many people will use public transit and many will walk from the Hotels in the Downtown core area . The Coliseum only has parking space to accommodate 1,800 cars , so any event attracting 4,400 or more , spills over into the adjoining neighbourhood."

"The three Lots that the Wildcats confirmed at their Town Hall Meeting last week with their Season Ticket holders , were all located closer than the furthest spots in the Coliseum Lot . At the most , a 3-4 minute walk . From the front door of the Capitol Theatre to the main entrance of the Downtown Centre is 6-7 minutes , exactly the same time it takes from the far west side of the Coliseum parking lot ."

"The Wildcats said that they are still negotiating with a number of private lots and will continue updating season ticket holders as plans are finalized ."

"The City has commissioned a traffic Dispersal Strategy, which will be rolled out starting in May and throughout the next four months until the opening in the Fall ."

From these comments it appears that Mr. Turner agrees with the City in general that there is "nothing to see here, move on." We have it all figured out." Judge for yourselves. There is hot debate on Facebook on the parking issue! And, yes, there is a huge issue that exists that MUST be addressed and soon!

Well I guess the talk about parking garages is pointless. It would be political suicide for city hall to say after the events centre opens, ooops, we need X millions of dollars from the tax payer because our planners suck. So lets all stop dreaming about a parking garage until or if poo hits the fan and the next mayor can point the finger and blame others. This is totally political now and the current mayor has already missed the opportunity to blame the previous mayor.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae

Well I guess the talk about parking garages is pointless. It would be political suicide for city hall to say after the events centre opens, ooops, we need X millions of dollars from the tax payer because our planners suck. So lets all stop dreaming about a parking garage until or if poo hits the fan and the next mayor can point the finger and blame others. This is totally political now and the current mayor has already missed the opportunity to blame the previous mayor.

I doubt that Dawn Arnold is a partisan who would place the blame on a previous administration. She could however be ideologically opposed to making the downtown any more car friendly. I suspect that she is very much in favour of active transportation and public transit. This could colour any decisions on her part to consider expanded parking options.

I trust however that if chaos does break out that she will see that enclosed parking structures are the only option........

[pierremoncton]

A parking structure won't be built before the centre opens anyway, so how about we just sit back and see what happens. I doubt there'll be chaos; people will adapt. It may turn out after the first season that things aren't so bad; otherwise, the expense of building a parking structure will be much better justified. People who want to complain will find something to complain about.

Personally, I haven't been to a hockey game at the coliseum in 15 years. I will attend at the new location, and I'll walk there from home (<10 minutes).

[lirette]

Originally Posted by pierremoncton

A parking structure won't be built before the centre opens anyway, so how about we just sit back and see what happens. I doubt there'll be chaos; people will adapt. It may turn out after the first season that things aren't so bad; otherwise, the expense of building a parking structure will be much better justified. People who want to complain will find something to complain about.

Personally, I haven't been to a hockey game at the coliseum in 15 years. I will attend at the new location, and I'll walk there from home (<10 minutes).

Indeed, I think we need to be careful when appeasing the "complainers". New Brunswick as a province is full of negative people unfortunately. I work in a large office and see it every day. We have free parking at heritage court that involves a 1-2 minute walk into the building from the back of the lot and many of them complain about it. Yet every other worker downtown has a pay for parking.

I am fully supportive of a new parking structure being built on the old co-op lot. But you can bet your bottom dollar when they build it and see the price tag they will complain its too expensive and too far away. At some point you have to let people adapt or the city will never change.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by lirette

We have free parking at heritage court that involves a 1-2 minute walk into the building from the back of the lot and many of them complain about it. Yet every other worker downtown has a pay for parking.

Even city employees don't get free parking. And the city owns their lot.

[MonctonRad]

Highfield Street Extension (the road that wraps around the new events centre) has a new name - Canada Street



Among the reasons chosen for the name of the new street is Canada 150 (although this was last year).

[L'homard]

I like the name Canada St. but I would have called it, oh I dunno, how about Highfield Street?
LOL I'm not sweating the small stuff. Canada St. it is then.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Highfield Street Extension (the road that wraps around the new events centre) has a new name - Canada Street



Among the reasons chosen for the name of the new street is Canada 150 (although this was last year).

I don't mind the name but I will say I hate the one street with multiple names. It takes away names for actual new streets.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by Scarface

I don't mind the name but I will say I hate the one street with multiple names. It takes away names for actual new streets.

Won't Canada street start at the end of Highfield st. and travel behind the Centre. I do not see how this street have multiple names, the way Berry Mills Rd, Killiam Dr, Morton etc! currently exists. last night one councillor wanted to name the new street Canada Way. AS I understood it watching over the internet, the motion put the name Canada St. in the street name bank. Another motion may be needed to officially name the street.