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

[felip_ars]

Magley is also the president of Basketball Super League, which is formed of St-John's, Montreal, Sudbury, London, Kitchener, and Windsor, with 15 teams (some of the TBL) joining them next year.

In an interview with Acadie Nouvelle, he stated that he hoped for an European system where the best team of the TBL would join the BSL, and the worst of the TBL would transfer to the SBL.

https://www.acadienouvelle.com/sport...percee-au-n-b/

[MonctonRad]

We don’t have the QMJHL thread like in the old days, so I’ll drop this here:

Today Gardiner McDougall announced his retirement as the longtime remarkably successful UNB men’s hockey coach.

Tomorrow, the Moncton Wildcats are making a special announcement.

Hmmmm.........

[habs33]

His son Taylor MacDougall is also expected to be named GM.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

We don’t have the QMJHL thread like in the old days, so I’ll drop this here:

Today Gardiner McDougall announced his retirement as the longtime remarkably successful UNB men’s hockey coach.

Tomorrow, the Moncton Wildcats are making a special announcement.

Hmmmm.........

[MonctonRad]

It's Official!!!

[felip_ars]

Stephane Leroux (QMJHL guy from RDS) is hearing rumours that the two REALLY got paid for their jobs.

It was always "Memorial Cup or Bust" for the Wildcats, but i think now theres an extra layer of pressure added to it.

[habs33]

The City of Moncton, in partnership with On Ice Entertainment Inc. and Events Moncton, will be hosting the second Atlantic Slam, an NCAA Division 1 College Basketball tournament, from Nov. 15-17 at the Avenir Centre.
https://www.moncton.ca/news-notices/...-atlantic-slam

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It's Official!!!

Dude won’t be there long. He’s probably a better coach than a dozen NHL coaches already. Fingers crossed he never goes to the Leafs!

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by habs33

The City of Moncton, in partnership with On Ice Entertainment Inc. and Events Moncton, will be hosting the second Atlantic Slam, an NCAA Division 1 College Basketball tournament, from Nov. 15-17 at the Avenir Centre.
https://www.moncton.ca/news-notices/...-atlantic-slam

The ticket prices were seriously whack last time.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Dude won’t be there long. He’s probably a better coach than a dozen NHL coaches already. Fingers crossed he never goes to the Leafs!

I agree that Gardiner won't be here for long.

For one thing, he is 64 years old.

For another, Irving has a brief window of opportunity to chase his dream of a Memorial Cup. The Wildcats are currently a young, talented, but, underperforming team requiring a strong hand and firm guidance. This is why Gardiner was hired.

The window of opportunity is 2-3 years. Irving will sell the farm to bulk up the team with additional talent in order to go for the Memorial Cup. He will sacrifice draft picks for 5-6 years down the road in order to do this.

As such, the Wildcats of 2028 will be a pale imitation of the team from next year. Gardiner would be wasting his talent on a team such as that. He will be gone in 2-3 years.

Now, whether or not he choses to go to the NHL is up to him. In three years time he will be 67. This is getting up there in terms of beginning an NHL career. I'm of the impression that he is a Maritime boy, and, that he is happy with living here. The NHL might be the pinnacle, but, really, Gardiner has nothing to prove. He is already a legend.

[lirette]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

The ticket prices were seriously whack last time.

Yeah, it was great basketball and the fans that showed up were loud but asking for $60 a day (cheapest seats) for teams that no one in the area would really be familiar with is a lot. You have 8800 seats to play with, why not price it in half and try to get 3000-4000 fans per day for a better environment. There was hardly any groups except one minor basketball team. Work with local schools to fill up a couple student sections for $5-10 a ticket, perhaps have a incentive for who can get more tickets sold. If you market these sections differently no one will bat an eye about pricing being different.

Also bringing in a band to create a more college sports atmosphere would be cool. I'm sure they did some analysis to figure out their initial pricing but I hope there is adjustments. it really is a unique event for the area.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by lirette

Yeah, it was great basketball and the fans that showed up were loud but asking for $60 a day (cheapest seats) for teams that no one in the area would really be familiar with is a lot. You have 8800 seats to play with, why not price it in half and try to get 3000-4000 fans per day for a better environment. There was hardly any groups except one minor basketball team. Work with local schools to fill up a couple student sections for $5-10 a ticket, perhaps have a incentive for who can get more tickets sold. If you market these sections differently no one will bat an eye about pricing being different.

Also bringing in a band to create a more college sports atmosphere would be cool. I'm sure they did some analysis to figure out their initial pricing but I hope there is adjustments. it really is a unique event for the area.

Was the attendance really that bad? That’s too bad.

I priced it out, and it made more sense to fly down to Orlando on Saint John’s cheap Flair flight and see an NBA game than spend all that money to drive to Moncton from SJ to see some random div 1 college ball. At one point last season, the Memphis Grizzlies had tickets for less than $10 to see an NBA game

If they want to make this an annual thing, they better lower the prices and prioritize attendance and concession sales. The VIP packages they were selling were ridiculous.

[BlackYear]

Yes, last year's Atlantic Slam ticket pricing was very confusing, for me and others I know. When I bought my Sunday pair of tickets months in advance, I didn't know I was paying for 2 separate games on that day. I only found out a few days before game day.

Concession at the Avenir is now beyond affordable. The have forever lost me there.

[felip_ars]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Was the attendance really that bad? That’s too bad.

There was an article in Acadie Nouvelle stating that the attendance was around 1800 per games, for a total of about 8000, to put in perspective, a similar event was held in Laval in 2022, and they too had 8000 (I couldn't find the 2023 numbers).

They are stating that this time they are aiming for 2200.

It also said that the promoter (On Ice Entertainment from Toronto) have a multi years deal/partnership with the City to bring that type of tournament to the City. They're also thinking about bringing a female version of the tournament.

https://www.acadienouvelle.com/sport...n-en-novembre/

[lirette]

Originally Posted by felip_ars

There was an article in Acadie Nouvelle stating that the attendance was around 1800 per games, for a total of about 8000, to put in perspective, a similar event was held in Laval in 2022, and they too had 8000 (I couldn't find the 2023 numbers).

They are stating that this time they are aiming for 2200.

It also said that the promoter (On Ice Entertainment from Toronto) have a multi years deal/partnership with the City to bring that type of tournament to the City. They're also thinking about bringing a female version of the tournament.

https://www.acadienouvelle.com/sport...n-en-novembre/

The womens tournament is headed to Charlottetown this year, and features a top 10 team in Georgetown.

I think with some small investment in promotion, family pricing and cheap student tickets they could do a lot better this time. Generally these events do much better when there is community presence around the event and leading up to the event. The first touchdown Atlantic event was a roaring success because around the city there was so much happening that no one knew it wasnt going on and you had this festival atmosphere around it.

Perhaps its just because the budget around this type of event doesnt allow it, but having attended on the Saturday, you kind of just showed up at the event, watched 2 games and then left. There really wasnt much local feel to it. I counted 1 kids basketball team that they had down near courtside in jerseys.

They had a high school prep tournament on in the morning/afternoon and priced it at $30 a ticket. They brought in some really good programs but no one is paying $30 to watch Rothesay Netherwood school play against a high school in Czechia. I'm not even sure everyone in NB would even know RNS exists let alone has a quality basketball program.

I'm really curious to see how they can expand in this years tournament, with hopes they are able to attract one top school.

[felip_ars]

The first two teams will be known next week, and the other two in September.

If I was a betting man, I would think that the first two will be from the Big South (hopefully one of them is last year's champion UNC Asheville), and the other two will be from other conferences, based on tickets sales (who they can afford to bring).

[MonctonRad]

It is with great sadness that I report that the palm tree in the plaza in front of the Avenir Centre has died.

It was a valiant effort, and we should be comforted by the fact that the palm outlived similar trees planted in Halifax several years back.

RIP.........

[drewber]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It is with great sadness that I report that the palm tree in the plaza in front of the Avenir Centre has died.

It was a valiant effort, and we should be comforted by the fact that the palm outlived similar trees planted in Halifax several years back.

RIP.........

Apparently some palm trees can deal with -8c for short periods of time. either way hopefully the replacement tree is a little more suited for the Atlantic Canada environment

[lirette]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It is with great sadness that I report that the palm tree in the plaza in front of the Avenir Centre has died.

It was a valiant effort, and we should be comforted by the fact that the palm outlived similar trees planted in Halifax several years back.

RIP.........

cant say I would have put any bets on it dying in the middle of a heatwave

[MonctonRad]

Now that Baton Rouge at the Crowne Plaza Hotel is nearing it's opening date, I wonder what the next step in the creation of the entertainment district around the Avenir Centre should be?

Things have progressed well since the opening of the centre.

There are three hotels within a half block of the main entrance to the Avenir Centre:
- Hyatt Place (new)
- Hilton Garden Inn (new)
- Crowne Plaza (recently renovated, soon to be reclad)

In addition there are four interesting restaurants and a bar within the same precinct.
- La Vida
- Carrabba's (new)
- Monck 10 (new)
- Baton Rouge (soon to open)
- The Bunker (bar and golf simulator, open).

These are impressive changes in only 6-7 years, but, there is more left to do in order to create a fully self sufficient entertainment district.

In particular, the vacant land to the west of the main entrance of the Avenir Centre, on the south side of Main Street needs to be redeveloped, and should contain new entertainment options. On original plans of the Avenir Centre, this land was referred to as "Parcel "A"



The land in behind Parcel A (where the old Telegraph Building is) is unfortunately inaccessible (owner apparently wants an exorbitant amount of money for the land), but, the strip of land facing Main Street can be developed. In fact, all of the land in front of the Telegraph Building is part of the Avenir Centre PID. The city already owns it.



Unfortunately, some of this land may not be developable (the first image above shows a right of way, presumably for the Telegraph Building), but this still leaves a lot of land unencumbered for redevelopment.

What should go here?

I think there is enough land here for another restaurant (either a sports bar or roadhouse style restaurant suitable for the arena type crowds frequenting the area), as well as an arcade style entertainment venue like a Rec Room. Since Rec Room is operated by Cineplex, perhaps they would even consider a standalone IMAX included as part of such a facility. Usually Cineplex puts their Rec Rooms in suburban power centre locations, but, you never know, perhaps they would be open to new possibilities if approached.

What type of restaurants or sports bars would be a good fit? Many I'm sure, but here are a few to consider:

La Cage.
https://www.cage.ca/en/

Since 1984, our sports brasserie has become THE go-to place for dining. Today, with 38 locations across the province and a branch in Bordeaux-Bègles, France, our legendary sports atmosphere and menu made with local ingredients make us the favorite brasserie to watch the game.

Jack Astors
https://www.sircorp.com/jack-astors/

Hey – we’re Jack Astor’s. Our mission? Great people helping other great people totally have a blast while enjoying amazing food. We specialize in delicious food and drink and are a lot like a reverse mullet- we’re a party in the front and all business in the back. In all seriousness though, we take real pride in our food and make over 200 recipes in house

La Belle et la Boeuf (Beauty and the Beef)
https://belleetboeuf.com/

In honor of all the mothers of this world, La Belle et La Bœuf was born. A leader in the world of burgers, La Belle et La Bœuf offers an incomparable choice of burgers with premium ingredients. An incomparable and unmatched quality: 100% natural beef made from 100% beef shoulder, never frozen and without added hormones. The first restaurant in Canada to incorporate mixology and table games, La Belle et La Bœuf offers a cocktail menu made with premium alcohols concocted by expert mixologists or beers brewed locally or internationally, pairing perfectly with the food menu. An anarchist sports bar concept in the image of the era of the revolution for peace that will not make you dizzy, but will keep you comfortable and happy.
Freedom is anarchy.

Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill
https://shoelessjoes.ca/

Our evolution from a simple sports bar to one of Canada’s top brands is defined by perseverance and teamwork.
Inspired by our namesake and other great sports figures, we believe anything is possible. Our story proves it. Since 1985 we’ve come a long way but our story is far from over.
Join us as we continue to grow and provide fans with the ultimate destination for watching the game over great food and great drinks

So, what do you guys think? Is it time to begin the next phase in the development of downtown Moncton's entertainment district? Is it time to finally look at developing Parcel "A", the last integral part of the Avenir Centre property left to be developed?? I think the answer is yes......

[lirette]

Also worth noting the addition of Loli Cafe & Lounge (cocktail bar) within a whisker of the avenir centre as well. Just behind the bunker.

A rec room with a single IMAX screen would be a really interesting addition to downtown. In a perfect world you'd have a parking garage where the heritage court lot is by then.