There will finally be an answer Wednesday afternoon as to where the Downtown Arena and Event Centre will be located. City Administration is recommending site A, which is Midtown Plaza’s north parking lot as opposed to the north downtown/City Yards site. City Council is meeting tomorrow afternoon to make that final decision.

Mayor Charlie Clark agrees with the Site A option, saying it has the best proximity to services, shopping, hotels and restaurants. He understands the concerns about parking but explains that part of the agreement with Midtown Plaza is that a 526-stall parking lot would also be built. That number would replace what is available in the current lot. As well, they would be utilizing all the existing lots and stalls downtown and Clark adds that Bus Rapid Transit would be integral for this project.

If Site A is chosen, the City will buy the plot of just over five acres of land for $25-million. Clark emphasizes that Administration would continue to pursue all financial opportunities, including provincial and federal funding, so that there is no property tax impact for residents.

Once the site is chosen, then it’s time to move on to design and working on some cost estimates. The City will also be looking for a private partner to run the facility. Mayor Clark says, “It’s not the most effective model for us to try and run and operate this ourselves, so we are looking for a private partner, as well as whatever financial tools we can pool together to help to pay for this, because as I’ve said, and as Council has directed, we don’t believe using property taxes is the best way to build a facility like this.