Charles St GRT terminal redevelopment

[jeffster]

Why is everyone so fixated on building an arena here? It's a stupid idea, especially downtown. The Aud sits dormant most of the year unless there is an event going on.

The Aud doesn’t sit dormant. Usually, as in without covid-19, besides Rangers games and the occasional concert, and other larger special events, there are also a lot of trade shows, along with tournaments. The Aud, and the twin pads, are usually booked for at least 300 days or more per year, with the entire area (The Aud and arenas, football field, baseball park) being use almost every day.

A downtown venue would mean you would literally have an arena that would be dormant 80% of the time, with Rangers and concerts and the occasional Jeff Dunham type show coming in. It’s not likely that you will have regular rentals into the new arena as who wants to lug equipment and pay $10 for parking to have a game of shiny. That means this would not serve the community at all.

That said, putting the arena in downtown Kitchener also means you’re losing 3 ice pads and replacing it with one. This is where “The Devil’s in the Details”

1) trade shows are gone, as generally they use two or three ice pads, all depending.
2) tournaments are gone.
3) Jack Coach is gone — where do the Panthers go?
4) a crap load of other events are gone

In the meantime, now you have to replace 2 additional ice pads as they are needed in the city.
You have to replace the baseball park. Does it go back downtown (where it originally was located?).

So cost now isn’t just to replace “The Aud”, but you also have to find land to replace the two other pads. You have to find land for the Panthers with a stadium that should be able to seat 2,000 (or more).

All costs not factored in replacing that entire area.

But once city hall decides this is a great idea, likely there is no stopping them.

I also agree with Dan with almost everything on why this is a terrible idea.

If the city has dollar sign in their eyes regarding the value of this property, they claim $440m, if money is what they want, sell off a golf course, which is a lot more land, and would give you a hell of a lot more money.