Quote:
Originally Posted by calgarychef
I'd be all for the city paying 100%mof the building costs. Let the flames play their little games for a nominal fee like um a dollar a game. Keep the ticket sales, beer sales and concessions for the owner (taxpayers) ...the team can have the TV rights.
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Agree 100%
If taxpayer pay for it they should own and control it
Edmonton is a joke but one crooked mayor, one dim witted premier and one owner who made most of his money selling Canadian subsidised drugs to US seniors online managed to boondoggle a city into paying for and then handing the keys over to Katz.
Funny that the former Mayors wife owned a large piece of land that the Ice district is in. and profited from directly the arena deal. Hmmm
The Ice district is a bit of smoke and mirrors too. everybody talks about how the arena revitalized the district but what is not showing is how all the office space is all but destroying the oversaturated office market in Edmonton.
Residences have killed several other projects that were planned for downtown and city seems to support riding this one pony.
Several businesses have closed recently in the district because the area is only busy during events and is a ghost town the rest of the time. The exaggerated rents don't equate to profitability for them.
The Edmonton tower is full of building issues but Iveson cant say anything because the city hopped right into bed with the ONE group and the Stantec tower is going right down the same path.
I was never a big fan of the arena but could have understood if the city had at least had owned it but who builds an arena, negotiates a non compete clause so that Northlands or any other city managed venue can not hold events unless katz passes on the opportunity and lets him profit from all revenue streams and pays no property taxes.
Hell of a deal if you can get it
I know nothing about the Calgary mayor but I at least give him credit for not selling the farm for some magic beans