More options on the table for Northlands Coliseum, mayor says

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Northlands Coliseum will revert back to the City of Edmonton on January 1, 2018. (John Robertson/CBC)

There are more options on the table for the future of Northlands Coliseum.

Mayor Don Iveson said the city will be looking for a private real estate company to redevelop the land.

"That might be another solution that doesn't have taxpayers on the hook," Iveson said at city hall Wednesday.

However, Iveson said no new information has been brought forward to council that would suggest an economic benefit to the city by keeping the historic building open.

The mayor has not ruled out demolishing the old arena. But he said the best course of action is to find out first exactly how much demolishing the building would cost.

In September, Northlands estimated the cost of demolition at $8 million. A report presented to city council Tuesday showed different numbers, projecting the cost of demolition between $15 million to $25 million.
Before the building can be taken down, it would have to be stripped of environmental hazards such as asbestos. Some elements of the building, including copper wiring, could be saved for re-sale at a later date.

The mayor said he is reconsidering the arena's future because of public pushback against demolition. He said he wants to bring the options of demolition or redevelopment to the public in the new year.

"I just got frustrated thinking about how much the demolition was going to cost," Iveson said
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...um-redevelopment-don-iveson-1.4436893?cmp=rss
 
Goodbye? Coliseum gets a lifeline while Northlands announces farewell weekend
City council offered a thin thread of a lifeline Thursday to the Coliseum, asking administration to look at issuing a formal request for proposals that could include demolition or a new use for the building.

“Hail Mary. There might be someone out there that has an idea that wouldn’t infringe on those (downtown arena) agreements,” said Coun. Tony Caterina.

City officials believe previous council votes to permanently close the structure have already pretty much shut that door, especially since the Rogers Place agreement with the Katz Group prohibits further use for sports or entertainment.

Operated by Northlands since 1974, the Coliseum will be transferred to the city and close on Jan. 1. Northlands is planning a free farewell weekend with a hockey game, public skate and multicultural round dance for the weekend of Dec. 15-17.

“It’s pray for the Coliseum at this point,” agreed Mayor Don Iveson, saying in his mind there is no alternative that has an economically viable use for a cavernous, asbestos-ridden, 44-year-old building.

Council was told it will cost $1.5 million a year to maintain and secure the shuttered facility, and at least $15 million to demolish it. But Thursday’s vote represents a win for anyone with a nostalgic attachment to the spot where the Edmonton Oilers won five Stanley Cups.

Members of the public will get one more chance to weigh in with their ideas at a committee meeting in the new year. A report to be released before that meeting will outline all of the legal constraints on the building and property, including a recent deal with the Katz Group to cancel the city’s $2-million annual sponsorship in exchange for shutting the facility.

At that point, council members will vote on whether to issue a request for proposals, either with the stipulation that a new owner must demolish the structure or not. Selling the land and building could transfer the risk to a third party, who would be responsible to develop the site in line with whatever is eventually adopted through public consultation as the area redevelopment plan.
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http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...ds-coliseum-free-farewell-events-next-weekend
 
'Pray for the coliseum': Fate of the aging facility up in the air as council remains undecided
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KEVIN TUONG / EDMONTON FREELANCE
Council still undecided on fate of Northlands coliseum.

The future of the former home of the Oilers is still undecided, but Edmonton's city council put yet another option on the table Thursday: bringing in an outside investor.

Council asked administration to prepare a report outlining the pros and cons of offering the 43-year-old building up to the private sector, who would then decide whether to redevelop or demolish it.

Mayor Don Iveson said the city had exhausted debate on the topic, while failing to find an “economically viable" solution.

“Pray for the coliseum at this point,” he said.

“I do think that if we can get an investor on that site, who is prepared to take on the challenges of the building, given the contractual limitations that are in place... then that might take the challenge out of the city’s books.”

Under an agreement with the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG), the city is not allowed to fund projects that will turn the coliseum into a facility for “sports and entertainment,” as that would compete with business at Rogers Place.

“The problem with this is that sports and entertainment, the interpretation could be virtually anything,” said Coun. Tony Caterina.

He suggested the city talk to the OEG about changing the agreement, otherwise, “we are stuck,” he said.
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http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...-in-the-air-as-council-remains-undecided.html
 
Proposal for film production in Coliseum too much of a grey area
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Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.
Global News
Oiler fans who remember the three goal comeback in game 3 against the Dallas Stars in the 1997 playoffs, where Kelly Buchburger won it in overtime, recall that as a Hollywood moment in Coliseum history.

Now there’s the thought the Coliseum would be suitable for some scripted Hollywood endings in its future.

In the past couple of weeks, since city council put out a casting call for last minute ideas, there have been some proposals that make you go, “hmmm.”
“There have been legitimate ones absolutely,” ward 7 councillor Tony Caterina said.

But what’s not making them a slam dunk is the contract language that’s got Caterina frustrated and wondering if things can be revisited with the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG).

Caterina said what the city signed off on prevents all sports and entertainment from happening in the building. To him, it means no hockey or concerts. But to the lawyers, it means something else.

“The legalities of it, because of that clause has caused a pause on it. Initially you’d say ‘yeah that makes sense because it’s not sport, it’s not entertainment,’ then our legal (department) goes that’s not exactly the interpretation,” he said.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/3930679/proposal-for-film-production-in-coliseum-too-much-of-a-grey-area/
 
Report tells Edmonton city council to go slow on Coliseum decision
A new city hall report suggests that council hold off on deciding anything about the Coliseum until sometime next year. That way, the city can go to the real estate and development market with a fully worked-out plan after getting extensive public input.

Council has asked for ideas on what to do with the Coliseum and the 17 acres it sits on, north of 118 Avenue.
“Administration is recommending that an offer to the market is best positioned after council has approved a development concept in 2019,” says the report that was released to the public on Thursday. “Considerations and legal implications related to the existing agreements with the Oilers Entertainment Group and Edmonton Arena Corporation are also discussed.”

As part of a renegotiation, the city got out of a 10-year, $20-million sponsorship agreement with the Oilers on the downtown arena. By agreeing to tear down the Coliseum, the city will be able to keep $17 million.

The report offers two options for a Negotiated Request for Proposal (NRFP) and recommends a 2019 timeline as opposed to wrapping things up by this summer.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/4029122/...city-council-to-go-slow-on-coliseum-decision/
 
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Welcome to our Exhibition Lands February update. Thank you to all who have joined the conversation this month - it is wonderful to have you here and to see so many people continue to show interest in this city-building project!

In the works
On February 22, 2017, two reports will be presented to Executive Committee about the Edmonton Exhibition Lands. The first report will provide members of the committee with a general update on the planning work and next steps. The second report will outline the pros, cons and risks, as well as legal considerations, related to the Coliseum building and redevelopment opportunities. These reports can be found on the City of Edmonton website connected to Items 6.1 and 6.2 on the February 22 Executive Committee Agenda.

Access the February 22 agenda and reports

We welcome citizens to observe the proceedings in Council Chambers. Can’t make it to City Hall? You can tune in to all Council and Committee meetings here.

Watch Council on the Web

What we heard
In January 2018, we invited you to provide input on the draft guiding principles for the project through the Edmonton Insight Community. Thank you to the almost 2,300 people who shared your perspectives on the content of the principles. Of the respondents, 88% of either agreed with, or felt neutral about, the principles (blue and grey in the chart).

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We have listened to your suggestions for ways to strengthen these guiding statements. Since the survey ended, we have hosted two working sessions with the Community Stakeholder Committee and the local Community Leagues to collaborate on refining the principles. Once these edits are complete, these guiding principles will form a foundation to explore trade-offs and inform decisions going forward.

Do you love data? Did you know you can access all Insight Community survey results in the Edmonton Open Data Portal? Click on ‘Access the Catalogue’ and do a search for the Edmonton Insight Community. Results are available approximately one month after each survey closes.

Access the Open Data Portal

Share your ideas
We know this work is important to you and we know many people still have ideas for this area of our city. There will be one more opportunity to submit formal suggestions for consideration. We are developing the tools to make this possible and will be sharing details on how to participate in our next newsletter. Stay tuned!

You can contact the project team any time by sending a message to exhibitionlands@edmonton.ca

Stay Involved in the Conversation
 
City council approves permanent closure of Coliseum
City council on Tuesday approved the permanent closure of the Coliseum.

“We’re examining the entirety of the exhibition lands through a few different processes, but, generally, the city is accepting any kind of ideas or proposals on what to do with that land, including the land that the Coliseum sits on,” Ward 9 Coun. Tim Cartmell said Tuesday.

He said administrative officials will discuss options for the area with surrounding neighbourhoods and communities.

At an executive committee meeting last week, officials voted to finalize an agreement with the Oilers Entertainment Group about the permanent closure of the Coliseum. This would end a $17-million sponsorship deal negotiated with the group, as part of a memorandum of understanding in 2016 about the new downtown arena, Rogers Place.
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http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/city-council-approves-permanent-closure-of-coliseum
 
You’re invited! Edmonton Exhibition Lands concept review
September 13, 2018

Join in a public session to review four concepts for the redevelopment of Edmonton Exhibition Lands.

Date: Tuesday September 18
Time: 1 - 3 p.m., 5 - 8 p.m.
Presentation Times: 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 7:15 p.m.
Location: Bellevue Community League, 7308 112 Avenue (parking is free)

In the Ideas Generation phase the City received over 100 submissions for the redevelopment of this 200-acre site. Ideas were grouped into common themes and Edmontonians were then invited to review and create potential combinations that might work. Using the ideas from the public engagement sessions and incorporating the eight established Guiding Principles, four concepts for the redevelopment of the Exhibition Lands were developed for people to review.

The City is excited to gather public feedback on these different concepts and what parts best fit the area and realize the aspirations set by the Guiding Principles. The City will use feedback from the public and other stakeholders to build a final redevelopment concept for the area.

Exhibition Lands, east of Edmonton’s transforming downtown, consists of over 200 acres of prime urban land ready to become the City’s next opportunity for innovation, revitalization and transit-oriented development.

For more information:
edmonton.ca/exhibitionlands

Media contact:
Jodi Tauber
Communications Manager
780-508-9191
 
Haven't been following this one as closely, but the preferred concept for the Exhibition Lands has been released:
www.edmonton.ca

Edmonton Exhibition Lands | City of Edmonton

At 200 acres, Exhibition Lands is the City’s second-largest urban infill site. Its premier location close to downtown, LRT and transit, the river valley, a vibrant park area and green space amenities make this a prime opportunity for Edmonton.
www.edmonton.ca www.edmonton.ca
 
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