macphail
10-05-2004, 05:08 PM
Memorial Centre site in running for future sportsplex
By Derek Baldwin
Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 07:00
Local News - The Memorial Centre site hasn’t been ruled out as the possible home of a multiple-arena sports-plex, says Lance Thurston, community services commissioner.
The 22-acre site, he said, could be considered a premier location for a new four-pad facility for minor hockey and skating organizations.
A mayor’s task force recommended earlier this year that the Memorial Centre be sold to developers for $5 million to help finance a separate riverfront spectator arena and entertainment centre on the Inner Harbour.
War veterans and some residents who live near the Memorial Centre have vehemently opposed any plan to sell the site to make way for a housing megaproject.
Council has yet to vote on the fate of the Memorial Centre and its surrounding green space.
Until a decision is made, Thurston said his department is still considering the Memorial site as one of several properties that could play host to a much-needed community four-pad facility.
Thurston confirmed he’s preparing a new report for council that will ask for, among other things, direction on the Memorial Centre’s future.
The report will be presented later this month.
“The important thing for the community and council is to have the community arena discussion running virtually parallel with the LVEC discussion,” Thurston said.
The problem is that both the community sportsplex plan and the large venue entertainment centre plan hinge on the fate of the Memorial Centre, he said.
If the Memorial Centre is sold to finance the riverfront project, a community sportsplex will have to be built elsewhere.
If the Memorial Centre isn’t sold, Thurston said it would be considered a premium site – among others – for the
community multi-pad facility.
“Caught in the middle of it all is the Memorial Centre. It is the fulcrum of it all,” he said.
“Is the Memorial site part of the financing plan for LVEC, or not? If it is, it’s off the table for the community arena discussion. If it’s not [part of the financing plan], then the Memorial is squarely back on the table for discussion,” Thurston said.
“That’s a really critical factor,” he added.
Thurston said once a decision is made, council may ask “can we actually consider it as a site for our community multi-plex facility?”
Thurston said finding such a large open site centrally located in Kingston will be very difficult.
The site of a multi-rink arena hinges on many factors, Thurston said.
“It has to be on a major arterial, needs bus services, needs services and it needs to be reasonably central,” he said. “It really limits you down to not too many options.”
For Kingston to start a selection process, council has to agree on what kind of centre it wants, Thurston said.
In June, council agreed in principle with an arena capacity study completed in January by consultants Planning and Management Services.
Councillors asked the city’s community services department to look at the study’s 20 recommendations for the arena complex and report back to council with a strategy on how to build and pay for it.
When it was released earlier this year, the $50,000 study met with controversy because it recommended that the city close the Memorial Centre and the Cook Brothers and Harold Harvey arenas and replace them with a “three-pad facility.”
The study also said a fourth ice pad could be added at the Centre 70 Arena.
Another recommendation is for the city to identify and assess locations for the three-pad (with a future option of a fourth pad) complex. Sites should be at least 25 acres and have municipal servicing, the study said.
The study also suggested the city consider the Memorial Centre for a new multi-pad complex.
Thurston said community services staff have reviewed the recommendations in detail and he’ll offer council options in his report later this month.
One of the options is for council to consider building its own four-pad complex using municipal money.
A second option is to explore a private-public partnership to build a community arena.
A third option is for a new community sportsplex to expand its multi-use design to include pools and a library among other things.
The Kingston YMCA has indicated it is interested in discussing a multi-use facility as a replacement for its aging building.
As part of his report, Thurston said he’ll ask council to consider striking a steering group to help move the multi-pad arena proposal forward.
By Derek Baldwin
Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 07:00
Local News - The Memorial Centre site hasn’t been ruled out as the possible home of a multiple-arena sports-plex, says Lance Thurston, community services commissioner.
The 22-acre site, he said, could be considered a premier location for a new four-pad facility for minor hockey and skating organizations.
A mayor’s task force recommended earlier this year that the Memorial Centre be sold to developers for $5 million to help finance a separate riverfront spectator arena and entertainment centre on the Inner Harbour.
War veterans and some residents who live near the Memorial Centre have vehemently opposed any plan to sell the site to make way for a housing megaproject.
Council has yet to vote on the fate of the Memorial Centre and its surrounding green space.
Until a decision is made, Thurston said his department is still considering the Memorial site as one of several properties that could play host to a much-needed community four-pad facility.
Thurston confirmed he’s preparing a new report for council that will ask for, among other things, direction on the Memorial Centre’s future.
The report will be presented later this month.
“The important thing for the community and council is to have the community arena discussion running virtually parallel with the LVEC discussion,” Thurston said.
The problem is that both the community sportsplex plan and the large venue entertainment centre plan hinge on the fate of the Memorial Centre, he said.
If the Memorial Centre is sold to finance the riverfront project, a community sportsplex will have to be built elsewhere.
If the Memorial Centre isn’t sold, Thurston said it would be considered a premium site – among others – for the
community multi-pad facility.
“Caught in the middle of it all is the Memorial Centre. It is the fulcrum of it all,” he said.
“Is the Memorial site part of the financing plan for LVEC, or not? If it is, it’s off the table for the community arena discussion. If it’s not [part of the financing plan], then the Memorial is squarely back on the table for discussion,” Thurston said.
“That’s a really critical factor,” he added.
Thurston said once a decision is made, council may ask “can we actually consider it as a site for our community multi-plex facility?”
Thurston said finding such a large open site centrally located in Kingston will be very difficult.
The site of a multi-rink arena hinges on many factors, Thurston said.
“It has to be on a major arterial, needs bus services, needs services and it needs to be reasonably central,” he said. “It really limits you down to not too many options.”
For Kingston to start a selection process, council has to agree on what kind of centre it wants, Thurston said.
In June, council agreed in principle with an arena capacity study completed in January by consultants Planning and Management Services.
Councillors asked the city’s community services department to look at the study’s 20 recommendations for the arena complex and report back to council with a strategy on how to build and pay for it.
When it was released earlier this year, the $50,000 study met with controversy because it recommended that the city close the Memorial Centre and the Cook Brothers and Harold Harvey arenas and replace them with a “three-pad facility.”
The study also said a fourth ice pad could be added at the Centre 70 Arena.
Another recommendation is for the city to identify and assess locations for the three-pad (with a future option of a fourth pad) complex. Sites should be at least 25 acres and have municipal servicing, the study said.
The study also suggested the city consider the Memorial Centre for a new multi-pad complex.
Thurston said community services staff have reviewed the recommendations in detail and he’ll offer council options in his report later this month.
One of the options is for council to consider building its own four-pad complex using municipal money.
A second option is to explore a private-public partnership to build a community arena.
A third option is for a new community sportsplex to expand its multi-use design to include pools and a library among other things.
The Kingston YMCA has indicated it is interested in discussing a multi-use facility as a replacement for its aging building.
As part of his report, Thurston said he’ll ask council to consider striking a steering group to help move the multi-pad arena proposal forward.