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  #241  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2013, 9:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drewber View Post
Well that step is done. Now to find out what the land will be used for.
Yes, I just saw this on Twitter......

Well, that's a relief, but $6M? What about the $12M that CBC was talking about earlier today. I presume this means that clean-up costs are not being factored into the purchase price.........

In any event, the city has voted to maintaining all of it's options as far as the events centre is concerned, which is only logical. I applaud this move.

The next step is now the issuance of the RFP, which will occur this fall.
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  #242  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2013, 9:48 PM
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Originally Posted by RyeJay View Post
I wonder if this could turn into a 2015 Federal Election issue for the ridings in this region? Which party will 'up' the amount of infrastructure dollars?!...

The NDP would support the centre, because it'll promote downtown growth -- which is the most sustainable form of city growth.
The Liberals whore themselves out to anything.
And the Conservatives obviously want to stay in power.
It will most definitely be an election issue for 2015, which is what the city is counting on. It's not just a coincidence that construction is slated to start in 2015 with a 2017 completion date. The city (and the province) is counting on some juicy promises being made as part of the election campaign.
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  #243  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2013, 9:56 PM
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
It will most definitely be an election issue for 2015, which is what the city is counting on. It's not just a coincidence that construction is slated to start in 2015 with a 2017 completion date. The city (and the province) is counting on some juicy promises being made as part of the election campaign.
That makes me nervous. Broken election promises are nothing new. If Moncton is going to commit to this development based on campaign rhetoric, I certainly hope the next sitting government follows through.

During an election, the parties are not able to sign along the dotted line to allocate actual funds. We have other their words. And those bastards will be promising eeeeverything.
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  #244  
Old Posted Jun 18, 2013, 7:40 PM
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Just thought I'd repost Norshorer's post in this thread


Quote:
Originally Posted by Norshorer View Post
From CBC.ca/NB

Moncton downtown centre moves ahead
Council votes to buy Highfield Square property and shortlists 2 developers
CBC News
Posted: Jun 18, 2013 11:40 AM AT
Last Updated: Jun 18, 2013 12:03 PM AT

Moncton city council took two big steps towards building a $105-million downtown sports and entertainment centre on Monday night. Council voted 8-2 in favour of purchasing the 11-acre former Highfield Square property on Main Street for $6 million. Coun. Paul Pellerin and Coun. Brian Hicks voted against it.

The option to buy the land was scheduled to expire on July 3 and council now has to close the deal within 60 days of that date. The former shopping centre will be demolished and the city hopes to build an event centre on the site. Jacques Dubé, the city manager, says the property is a great deal as it has already gone up in value since the price was negotiated in the option to purchase the land.

"Our own appraisal shows that property is worth $10 million," Dubé said.

"The sale price was negotiated at $6 million so we're buying a piece of property that the market now establishes at $10 million worth of value."

In addition to the $6 million purchase price, Dubé says the city will have to spend between $2.5 million and $6 million to demolish the former mall and clean up any hazardous waste on the site, including hydrocarbons and asbestos.

Council shortlists 2 developers

Moncton council also agreed on Monday to begin negotiations with two national firms which have expressed interest in building the downtown event centre. Bird Construction Inc., Ellis Don Corporation and L'Aréna des Canadiens Inc. had all expressed interest in bidding for the project, but Dubé said only two have qualified to move forward to the request for proposals stage.

Bird Construction built the Thunderbird Sports Centre for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Ellis Don is known for Toronto's Rogers Centre and L'Aréna des Canadiens built the Bell Centre which is home to the Montreal Canadiens. In his report to councillors, Dubé said L'Aréna des Canadiens Inc. was "non-compliant" while Ellis Don Corporation received a final score of 71.5 per cent and Bird Construction a score of 80.17 per cent.

The companies were evaluated on experience, understanding of the project and methodology, which included experience working with a public authority.

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...purchased.html


Personal note:
Ellis Don also built the John Labatt Centre (now known as Budweiser Gardens) in London, ON. That arena can hold approx 9100 for end stage concerts so it should give you an idea of what Moncton's new Event Centre might be like.

Despite the rumblings that tax-payers might be on the hook for this project, I'm so used to such being the case by now for these kinds of projects that it doesn't phase me at all at this point. Glad this went through instead of being killed-off completely. Also glad they didn't opt to do some sort of half-arsed retrofit for existing Coliseum either.

Maybe by 2018, Moncton will start seeing concerts & other major events stop here instead of bypassing us for Halifax. Would also be great once and for all if the Moncton vs. Halifax concert feud could be put to an end by this since concerts would be stopping in BOTH cities vs. only going to one.
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  #245  
Old Posted Jun 19, 2013, 1:23 AM
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I agree absolutely with Norshorer's comments. We would be very lucky if we end up with an Ellis Don style project like the Budweiser Gardens in London. That is the ideal we should be striving for.

He is also quite correct about touring acts making stops in both Moncton and Halifax (and likely Harbour station in Saint John too). Touring can be very expensive, especially if you are bringing your act all the way to the far eastern fringes of the continent. If you can play 2-3 shows out here (rather than one), it could make a big difference in the region's attractiveness to major touring groups.

Now the hard work can begin. Maybe private partners will begin to step forward now that the land is bought and an RFP will soon be issued. The next six months could be quite interesting.......
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  #246  
Old Posted Jun 20, 2013, 2:06 AM
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Editorial from today's T&T:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11254

Build an events centre for the future
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Times & Transcript

Moncton City Council has made a solid decision to buy an impressive piece of land at the site of the former Highfield Square shopping mall. Even if an events centre never gets off the ground the site is a prime piece of real estate and it makes sense for the municipal government to have control over development on this property. Obviously the quality of development there will have a profound impact on the immediate and long-term future of the entire downtown.

And the future is what we must focus on now.

Council has in its wisdom in fact decided an events centre is the best option to positively affect the future course of the downtown, the entire city proper, Metro Moncton and southeastern New Brunswick. In fact, to a significant extent the fortunes of the entire province are in play given that the right kind of events centre will spur related development and in turn pour millions into provincial tax coffers annually. That in turn should capture the attention of a federal government that wants we Maritimers to curb our long-standing reliance on federal transfer payments.

Thus, much is at stake; we must go 'all in' with a project of sufficient scale to attract other players not just in the entertainment business but retail, housing and all the other sectors that can take advantage of the right kind of project.

We urge Moncton City Council to keep the true path as it prepares to release a request for proposals to a pair of globally significant development consortia which nonetheless have ties to Moncton and have both already accomplished much here.

There are those in the municipal government, elected and otherwise, who propose a faint-hearted facsimile of the late Ian Fowler's original vision of a facility of at least 10,000 seats that can be expanded if there is evidence to suggest it should be done. We believe that will happen; we believe a great centre will attract a great crowd for sports and entertainment of all kinds. We also believe a fainter effort, a marginal improvement over the old Coliseum, will have fallen behind the competition before it is even built.

We Say: Half-hearted attempt at vital project not worthy of our city
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  #247  
Old Posted Jun 20, 2013, 10:53 AM
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
Editorial from today's T&T:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11254

Build an events centre for the future
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Times & Transcript

...In fact, to a significant extent the fortunes of the entire province are in play given that the right kind of events centre will spur related development and in turn pour millions into provincial tax coffers annually. That in turn should capture the attention of a federal government that wants we Maritimers to curb our long-standing reliance on federal transfer payments.
The T&T is not an advocate for curbing federal equalisation transfers. They supported the MHS relocation.
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  #248  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 12:28 PM
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Moncton Coliseum could be renovated for $27M
Coun. Brian Hicks is questioning why other options are not being explored

A recent report commissioned by the City of Moncton shows it could renovate the Moncton Coliseum for as little as $27 million, significantly less than the $105-million estimate given to a new downtown sports and entertainment centre.

The report, which was obtained by CBC News after filing a Right to Information and Protection of Privacy request, was intended to be finished in the spring of 2012, but it was delayed by a year.

The report prepared in March outlined three options for renovating the coliseum. The estimated costs for the three options ranged from $27 million to $40 million.

The consultant suggested building a three-storey box on top of the existing Moncton Coliseum and converting it into a brand new building.

....
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...2.html?cmp=rss

Some more cold water from the CBC... I don't know if it's because they want to counterbalance the T&T's boosterism, but I don't think they've had a single neutral or positive story about the events centre at all this year.

Anyone with even an ounce of urban sense understands that the downtown option is about more than just the sticker price - it's a very important exercise in citybuilding that will have repercussions on how Moncton grows in the coming decades, and in turn will influence the downtown real estate market and the city's fiscal sustainability. Taking the long view, the $80 million difference in capital costs doesn't mean much (and may even evaporate entirely) when the downtown option's impact on annual property tax assessments is brought into the equation: this is good for the city AND the province.

Keep pushing for the downtown location, guys!
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  #249  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 1:31 PM
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The CBC seems to never have any good news haha
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  #250  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 1:45 PM
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Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy View Post
The CBC seems to never have any good news haha
The news should report whatever is being discussed, regardless if it makes us happy or not

But I'll paraphrase what you've stated and agree with you that I would prefer for the city to NOT commit funds to renovating the Coliseum, if it meant the Moncton Centre downtown would become a no-go.
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  #251  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 1:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Fischbob View Post
Some more cold water from the CBC... I don't know if it's because they want to counterbalance the T&T's boosterism, but I don't think they've had a single neutral or positive story about the events centre at all this year.
The CBC is unconcerned about the boosterism from tabloids.

Every story the CBC has published about the events centre (yes, every story) has contained information on the centre's benefits.

The negativity is coming out of City Hall. The negativity is coming from the growing portion of Monctonians who do not want to spend over $100million on a centre in a part of town that many don't care about.

You'd be surprised just how many people in the region don't care about the downtown core (mostly, because they don't understand its financial relevance).
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  #252  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 2:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fischbob View Post
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...2.html?cmp=rss

Some more cold water from the CBC... I don't know if it's because they want to counterbalance the T&T's boosterism, but I don't think they've had a single neutral or positive story about the events centre at all this year.

Anyone with even an ounce of urban sense understands that the downtown option is about more than just the sticker price - it's a very important exercise in citybuilding that will have repercussions on how Moncton grows in the coming decades, and in turn will influence the downtown real estate market and the city's fiscal sustainability. Taking the long view, the $80 million difference in capital costs doesn't mean much (and may even evaporate entirely) when the downtown option's impact on annual property tax assessments is brought into the equation: this is good for the city AND the province.

Keep pushing for the downtown location, guys!
I couldn't agree more with your assessment Fischbob!

The coliseum could be renovated, and probably more cheaply than building anew in the core, but this misses the point of what the mayor is trying to accomplish here.......

If the point is to have a venue capable of being attractive to top touring acts and supporting the Wildcats and Miracles, then fine, let's renovate the coliseum and be done with it. The coliseum does have an advantage in terms of abundant free parking that could never be replicated in the core.

If on the other hand, the point is to build a focal point around which future growth in the downtown core can rally, then the extra expense of building anew is more than worth it. Without the events centre, the core will continue to have a marginal future as a distressing amount of the growth in the city tends to occur in the periphery. If this continues, the downtown will eventually become more and more irrelevant to more and more city residents. It is already borderline irrelevant to many Monctonians now. I know, I live in the suburbs and I can go months without walking Main Street. It's easy enough to do. Unless I have an errand down there, I can live my life completely outside the downtown.

Is this the future I want for my city? Certainly not! I want my downtown to be meaningful. I like Main Street. I want to have more reasons for going down there. The core needs a destiny and the events centre is it! Nothing will change until it is built.......

I was downtown last night for the Canada Day activities including the free concert by Colin James in front of city hall and the fireworks display on the riverfront. Downtown has a tremendous vibe with literally tens of thousands of residents walking the streets and interacting. This is the sort of future I want for downtown Moncton. An events centre in the core will breed new economic activity and will give many people a reason to return again and live in the downtown area. This dream must be fulfilled, and will never be achieved if the coliseum is renovated.......

Which do you think is the better destiny for the city of Moncton?



Canada Day last night in Moncton. Wouldn't it be great if more days were like this? An events centre with 39-55 hockey dates per year and 20-30 basketball dates per year as well as perhaps a dozen concerts per year and other special events would certainly help in accomplishing this. Just imagine up to 100 events per year in a downtown centre that would attract people to the core. This is what we are talking about - not a renovated coliseum.....
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  #253  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 2:04 PM
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You'd be surprised just how many people in the region don't care about the downtown core (mostly, because they don't understand its financial relevance).
Sadly, that is 100% true.
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  #254  
Old Posted Jul 2, 2013, 5:10 PM
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Sadly, that is 100% true.
I hope the momentum that has been built for the downtown option holds. To not invest in the downtown, and hence not generate sustainable growth -- to simply settle for a Coliseum renovation is actually what would be a waste of money.

A Coliseum renovation would have potential for success if some local development could be concurrently orchestrated to help pay-off this investment. But let's face 'thee' issue with which we are dealing: saving the downtown in order to solidify the city's tax base, so that in the future Moncton (and the Province of New Brunswick) won't be met with crushing debt from infrastructure and public services. The country is urbanising; we need to stop limiting the scope of Moncton's marketing amongst Canada's other leading cities, and instead actually move forward on some of these fundamental framework problems. The city is far too sprawled (and expensive). Our public purse needs this density.

Last edited by RyeJay; Jul 9, 2013 at 7:38 PM.
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  #255  
Old Posted Jul 9, 2013, 1:18 PM
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From the downtown Moncton website.

Support the Downtown Moncton Multifunctional Centre

Where: Main & Highfield (in front of Highfield Square)
When: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 11:00 am

Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc (DMCI) invites members of the media and stakeholders to attend a news conference for the unveiling of a new initiative aimed at rallying community support for the development of the downtown multifunctional centre on the Highfield Square property.
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  #256  
Old Posted Jul 9, 2013, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Mattyyy View Post
From the downtown Moncton website.

Support the Downtown Moncton Multifunctional Centre

Where: Main & Highfield (in front of Highfield Square)
When: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 11:00 am

Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc (DMCI) invites members of the media and stakeholders to attend a news conference for the unveiling of a new initiative aimed at rallying community support for the development of the downtown multifunctional centre on the Highfield Square property.
That's a fancy way to say "we put up a billboard."
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  #257  
Old Posted Jul 9, 2013, 11:20 PM
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That's a fancy way to say "we put up a billboard."
Anything to bring more positive awareness to this project is good enough for me.
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  #258  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2013, 12:26 AM
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Is it a nice billboard?
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  #259  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2013, 2:55 PM
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Is it a nice billboard?
Image is also posted on the home page of www.downtownmoncton.com

Credit to news919.com
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  #260  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2013, 3:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Budyser View Post
Image is also posted on the home page of www.downtownmoncton.com
Thanks. The actual Downtown Moncton webpage dedicated to the events centre is http://www.downtownmoncton.com/imagine-symposium.php. It contains a bunch of interesting links and information.....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Budyser View Post
Credit to news919.com
Sadly there won't be a News91.9 much longer. Rogers is selling both the Moncton and Saint John news stations this year. Irving is planning to buy the Moncton station and turn it into a music format station but with a "focus" on news (whatever that means). In any event, it will just further consolidate Irving's control of the media segment in New Brunswick.....
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