Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_johnns
What do you guys think about modelling the Mayor's idea for a multiplex on Long Warf after buildings we have lost? A quality development modelled after the Exhibition Building would look spectacular.
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Certainly you've forgotten about Union Station.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnguys
I'm totally against any rink surfaces down there. It is zero density,
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Density provided by a recreation facility would be better than no density at all. At least, that's how I see it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnguys
no taxes on a prime location, and a pig on land surface when you consider parking required for it.
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Again, better than nothing. My contention is that we sit on the assumption that there are people banging down the door looking at developing the site which just isn't true. The land at Long Wharf is long enough for suitable amount of parking. Along with this, the facility can be doubled as a site for small-retailers and could double as a cruise terminal during cruise season if built properly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnguys
It will not bring people uptown to shop or eat, it will bring hockey parents uptown to rink with kids already dressed in hockey gear for a game or practice and then leave the area, stopping at a Tim's to get timbits and a coffee on their way back out to KV.
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Have you ever played hockey before? Have you ever had kids that played hockey? I guess the same can be said for any sport, but the fact of the matter is that there is no negative to getting bodies in the Uptown. If you haven't noticed, hockey arenas do bring local spinoff (that's why Tim's builds near arenas).
The only hockey players that come pre-dressed to games are those under the ages of 9-10. The rest get to the rink about 25-50 minutes before their schedule ice-time. That's plenty of time for parents to move around if need be. Have you been to the fourplex in Moncton? Inside of that facility there is a cafe and full restaurant with menu. It's a great little setup and offers a revenue opportunity directly in the building itself. This doesn't include the hockey shop and skate sharpening offered in the facility as well.
The vast majority of hockey played at a theoretical fourplex on Long Wharf would be local players. Senior leagues and practices for local teams takes up a lot of time on their own. Of course, there are plenty of games that would invite residents from all over the province, as well. The majority of teams would be travelling from between St. Stephen and Sussex, and for the league that I am involved in would also include teams from anywhere else in the province outside of Saint John. I understand your concern about KV parents only stopping at Tim's but the fact of the matter is that their children would at most only account for half of the players playing hockey at any given time. This arena would not be a home arena for the KV Minor Hockey Association, but for that of the Saint John Youth. Perhaps a deal could be struck to partner with Lancaster Association, as well. Beside that, it would also be an opportunity for High School teams to relocate. How does it sound to have a SJHS or STM hockey game on a Friday night at Long Wharf and then having all of those spectators spilling over to the Uptown afterwards?
Most importantly is the ability to host large-scale tournament for youth players which, unsurprisingly, brings in an large amount of outside money. Currently the Saint John Irving Oil Christmas Tournament is playing across Saint John and there are various teams from all parts of the province, including Bathurst, Florenceville, Moncton, and Massachusetts. All of these teams are made up of roughly twenty players and say one or two parents each. These teams need to stay somewhere (Hotels), eat somewhere (Restaurants), and presumably shop somewhere (malls/stores) for the entire course of a weekend. If a larger facility was offered with more possibility for ice-time then it's not difficult to imagine teams from Nova Scotia and PEI visiting. People will be attracted to new and clean facilities.
As well, i'll let you all in on a little secret: The league that I participate in is holding their provincials in Saint John at the end of April. The banquet that we hold on the friday night needs to seat roughly 1,000 guests. Last time the provincials were held in Saint John we had the banquet in the gym of Samuel-de-Champlain school because the T&CC was too expensive. Guess where we're holding it this time around? The Diamond Jubilee Cruise Ship Terminal.
Essentially speaking, we have multiple teams from outside of Saint John staying at hotels uptown, and the cruise ship terminal is close enough for them to walk to from their hotels. It's an ideal situation for both the organizers and the teams themselves as it will be easier to find than Sam-de-Cham and still have adequate parking if need be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnguys
It's very shortsighted to put a complex down there like that - arguably the primest piece of property in city.
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If there are any other proposals for the site at the given time I would like to hear them. As the Port Authority and Business Saint John have stated in the past, the land has been put up for tender since the day the second refinery was halted, and to this day they have not received any interest whatsoever. If you'd rather the land sit vacant for at least ten years than opening up the Uptown to a larger swath of people from outside of Saint John then by all means, but you're missing out on a great opportunity to showcase Saint John for what it really is. Teams travelling currently from out of Saint John to the Stu Hurley or Gorman arenas don't get to see Saint John for what it truly is, but show them a facility in the Uptown and you'll be exposing the true Saint John to many people who would never have had that opportunity prior.
You can try to shun
people from the KV or anywhere else as much as you'd like, but at the end of the day we need them and they need us a lot more than we're willing to admit.
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