Well, I went to the presentation at the Capitol Theatre this evening regarding the events centre. I learned a few interesting tidbits during the presentation, and from questioning some of the presenters after the session.
Here's an overhead view of the site:
Note in the lower right of the photo, you can see an illustration of an outdoor ice rink. This will be a permanent feature (in the winter time) and will be located in the plaza between the events centre and the Highfield St. extension. The ice plant in the events centre will be used to maintain this outdoors ice surface. In the summer time, the plan is to use the plaza for outdoor events, with the option to put three outdoors basketball courts in this part of the plaza when not otherwise in use. The events centre will support public usage of the plaza as certain portions of the events centre (such as washrooms) will be available. The small adjacent building (parcel "C") in the photo will be used for skate rentals, storage, a concession or coffee shop and as an information kiosk.
If you squint at the writing at the bottom of the image, just next to that anomalous crosswalk over the Highfield St extension, you might be able to make out that it says "potential link to cross railway tracks". One of the people I talked to after the event admitted that the city
has begun active talks with CN to build a tunnel under the mainline to the south side of the tracks. There is no formal plan to build a parking garage on the south side, but the person I talked to said that the city is interested in using the ROW of the old rail spur that used to service the industrial waterfront as a potential pedestrian/cycling link connecting the events centre (via this tunnel) to Downing Street, running along the south side of Assumption Place. He then said that the city is indeed ruminating about a
trolley line along this ROW at some point in the future! This of course does not mean that a trolley is a fait accompli, but it is at least on the city's radar as a possibility down the road.
Apparently there is a developer interested in parcel "B", in the old Highfield Square parking lot. Apparently the Aquillini's are also in talks with this unnamed developer so that their two projects could be synchronized. If so, there would likely be an overhead pedway between the two developments crossing Main Street. The Aquillini development would very likely contain indoor parking.
One of the potential uses for parcel "A" could be a hotel. Condos are another possibility. In either event, they hope for ground level retail along Main Street.