Dogma
09-20-2007, 12:51 PM
Arena's capacity grows; City OKs changes at no extra cost
Posted By Jordan Press
Posted 11 hours ago
The downtown arena will open with more seats than originally planned and in the future may have more seats than originally predicted.
City council approved changes to the $46.1-million project that will see rows of retractable seats along the western edge of the ice rink removed and extra seats placed elsewhere in the bowl. When it opens Feb. 22 - the revised opening date - the arena will have 5,650 seats at no additional cost to the city.
Project manager Lanie Hurdle said retractable seats can be added in the future.
The arena was proposed to open with 5,000 seats and have the capacity to increase to 6,000 seats in the future. The foundation for the expansion is being built into the arena now.
With Tuesday night's decision, the number of seats would grow to 6,187 after an expansion, said Hurdle.
The expansion will also require more parking spots surrounding the arena site on the North Block, bordered by Place d'Armes, Ontario, King and Barrack streets.
About 1,700 spots will now be needed to accommodate a full crowd in the arena when it opens, Hurdle said. Those spots would be within a 600metre radius of the arena, or an estimated 10-minute walk.
The extra seats could bring in more revenues into the building, council heard. The seats would bring some additional operational costs, but there would be greater revenues without a great rise in expenses, council heard.
Despite the extra seats and the changes in scope and cost to the project already, city staff noted in their monthly report to council that the arena's private operator, Arcturus/SMG, wasn't able to change the benchmarks for revenues set in its contract. The increase in the benchmarks was proposed to handle an increase of $500,000 in the budget for purchasing furniture, fixtures and equipment for the arena.
Builder EllisDon found the current rows of retractable seats wouldn't completely retract under the risers of the bowl due to structural challenges.
The area is likely to become what a staff report deemed a premium seating area with high-top chairs and tables.
The change in scope to the project passed with Councillor Joyce MacLeod-Kane as the lone dissenter.
jpress@thewhig.com
(Ms. MacLeod-Kane also added a smug remark - "conspiracy theory stuff" -lacking impact or proof (as usual)
Posted By Jordan Press
Posted 11 hours ago
The downtown arena will open with more seats than originally planned and in the future may have more seats than originally predicted.
City council approved changes to the $46.1-million project that will see rows of retractable seats along the western edge of the ice rink removed and extra seats placed elsewhere in the bowl. When it opens Feb. 22 - the revised opening date - the arena will have 5,650 seats at no additional cost to the city.
Project manager Lanie Hurdle said retractable seats can be added in the future.
The arena was proposed to open with 5,000 seats and have the capacity to increase to 6,000 seats in the future. The foundation for the expansion is being built into the arena now.
With Tuesday night's decision, the number of seats would grow to 6,187 after an expansion, said Hurdle.
The expansion will also require more parking spots surrounding the arena site on the North Block, bordered by Place d'Armes, Ontario, King and Barrack streets.
About 1,700 spots will now be needed to accommodate a full crowd in the arena when it opens, Hurdle said. Those spots would be within a 600metre radius of the arena, or an estimated 10-minute walk.
The extra seats could bring in more revenues into the building, council heard. The seats would bring some additional operational costs, but there would be greater revenues without a great rise in expenses, council heard.
Despite the extra seats and the changes in scope and cost to the project already, city staff noted in their monthly report to council that the arena's private operator, Arcturus/SMG, wasn't able to change the benchmarks for revenues set in its contract. The increase in the benchmarks was proposed to handle an increase of $500,000 in the budget for purchasing furniture, fixtures and equipment for the arena.
Builder EllisDon found the current rows of retractable seats wouldn't completely retract under the risers of the bowl due to structural challenges.
The area is likely to become what a staff report deemed a premium seating area with high-top chairs and tables.
The change in scope to the project passed with Councillor Joyce MacLeod-Kane as the lone dissenter.
jpress@thewhig.com
(Ms. MacLeod-Kane also added a smug remark - "conspiracy theory stuff" -lacking impact or proof (as usual)