Charles St GRT terminal redevelopment

[danbrotherston]

There are many reasons. 

For one, the priorities are wrong. We shouldn’t be spending money on a new arena, and the planner is utterly naive to believe we can get it for free. Sporting venues very often end up being a complete quagmire. 

For two, there are so many much more valuable things we can do in that space. Many want an indigenous centre, but even if you’re not on board with that it’s at the centre of our city, a high density and intensity of use is vastly better than something that gets used a handful of days a week at best.

For three, the location is poor. I hate that we live in a car dependent city, but we do, and especially a venue like an arena will demand a huge amount of parking, and because of the lack of vision of most people in our society, they won’t even consider the Benton garage, so it will result in a huge amount of parking added downtown. Worse, it’s actually a dense residential area meaning nights it is used there will be significant disruption to many more peoples lives.

Do you want a fourth reason?  I think it’s a waste to build a new arena, the Aud is fine, the current location is good, it could easily be renovated.  The same people demanding a new arena will throw a tantrum if you plan to demolish anything more than 60 years old.

Also a typo in my first:  *frustrating how few *see* it

1. That’s your opinion

2. This is a false premise. An arena can be used for a multitude of things for much more than a “handful” of days a year. You’re wrong.

3. The location is poor? You’re joking right? Downtown arena, literally right beside an LRT stop, that we spent a billion dollars to build… right beside restaurants, bars, small businesses, Victoria park. Do you understand how much of a stimulus this will be to the downtown core? Get out of your tunnel vision. As a Kitchener resident, if I’m going to a game or concert or event or whatever there is at the arena downtown and consciously knowing i can take the LRT and NOT have to pay for parking. You’re damn sure I’m not taking my car and will take the LRT that’s literally STEPS to the future potential arena.

The current aud takes up a massive amount of space and even more space because of all the surface parking. All that surface parking can be used for development of more useful things like affordable housing. The current aud is not within walking distance of small businesses or restaurants or bars or anything. It is not beside an LRT station. The potential of an arena in the downtown core as i stated previously is much more significant than the current location. Let’s get rid of the current aud and redevelop it for affordable housing
Some people on this forum are hilarious.

1 I didn’t say it wasn’t. This is literally an opinion forum, and the article we are commenting on is an opinion piece.  But are you really going to tell me an arena is more important than housing in our city right now? If so, you can tell that to the thousand people now homeless on our streets.  Or are you going to argue that after all the other cities fail to break even building arenas somehow we magically will?

2 An arena can host other things, but go see how often similar arenas in similar cities are used. Most nights they are empty. In London, in Kingston. 

3 this too is your opinion. You’re welcome to hold it. You can not disparage me at the same time. I’m looking at the reality in our city. 80% of our population cannot conceive of going somewhere without a car. That’s simply the reality here. 

As for its current location it is a 10 minute walk from an LRT station and on that walk you will pass at least two restaurants. I think you don’t know the area it’s located in well.  More, if an arena was so good for local businesses and development, would t it have attracted more businesses to the area?

Yes, the current area is huge and has tons of surface parking, it’s just another reason the terminal isn’t a good location, it isn’t a big enough site to host the facilities we currently have.