The appropriateness of a downtown location for a new Memorial Centre

[keoadmin]

Kingston Electors - February 2004

Notes on a Kingston Electors conversation with Doug Ritchie – Managing Director of Downtown Kingston

Doug was questioned about the appropriateness of a downtown location for a new Memorial Centre – specifically the area under study as the North Block Study. (The area bounded by Ontario, Queen, Wellington and Place d’Armes). He feels this would be an excellent site for a Large Venue Entertainment Centre because the downtown is almost, but not quite an entertainment centre. The Large Venue facility would complete the downtown as an entertainment centre. Entertainment synergies are maximized if facilities are within a 10-minute walk from the six existing hotels.

Doug feels that the question of a design for the Centre – appropriate to the area could be dealt with by having a retail wrap-around and a stepped-back design. Traffic could be dealt with by non-destination parking – essentially by using existing parking facilities that experience low usage in the evenings. On-site parking could be limited to approximately 1100 vehicles accommodated by one layer of underground parking.

[Emerald]

what cities have examples of off-site (non-destination?) parking for a similar facility?

[Bandit]

If they have 1100 spaces with it there would rarely be a need for off site parking with realistic attendance expectations. Underground parking will add a lot to the cost.

Has Kincore commented on the North block idea?

[bill]

Now if we can not sell out Ryan Malcolm, can not sell out a hockey game with the small facility we currently have.......why do we need this LVEC?

Placing the LVEC down town will not do too much to increase our tax base, create a nightmare with traffic (or is this a plan in order to get a bridge?).

I think this site needs to look at other much more serious issues in this city..........

[macphail]

The following comment from Bob Hunter, Executive Vice President of Maple Leaf Sports and General Manager of the Air Canada Centre sheds some doubt on the kinds of entertainment acts the proposed LVEC would host:

"Hunter said the city still won’t be able to attract headline entertainers like Shania Twain, but will serve as an attractive venue for acts like Kingston’s Tragically Hip."

Also of interest is the fact that the Hip played an outdoor - not an indoor - concert recently in Toronto. What has stopped them from doing the same here in Kingston, or will they only come if this new facility is built?

Cheers, Derek