April 12, 2010

Oilers, Edmonton mayor still seeking arena

Long article in yesterday's Globe and Mail about the Edmonton Oilers arena campaign. It's worth reading for yourself if you have a specific interest in the Oilers situation or just want a primer on how sports facility squabbles usually go (pro: It'll revitalize downtown! con: It's a money pit!), but for those on a tighter schedule, highlights include:

• A city report estimated that it would cost $250 million to renovate the Oilers' current home of Rexall Place. (Renovate it into what, the article doesn't say — though since the arena's operator described the plan at the time as a "gutting and starting over," we're probably not just talking spiffed-up concessions stands.) The report was commissioned by Mayor Stephen Mandel, the Globe and Mail helpfully points out, "the same year his re-election campaign received a $15,000 donation from [Oilers owner Daryl] Katz's company."
• Mandel says that Katz "absolutely" would put in some unspecified amount of money toward a new arena.
• Oilers arena lobbyist Bob Black points to Columbus, Ohio as a city where the impact of a downtown arena "has been undeniably positive." Notwithstanding the bit where the Blue Jackets are now seeking a taxpayer-funded lease bailout.
• City councillor Tony Caterina counters that Katz's entire planned $1.1 billion development that would include an arena would only generate $14 million a year in taxes, while arena bonds would cost $30 million a year. "Right there," says Caterina, "the numbers don't work."
• Black says, "We're caught between a rock and a hard place, so we've got to come up with some solutions.: He insists, though, that that's "not a threat to move the team. It's simply a reflection of the need to put the Edmonton Oilers on a solid foundation financially."

There's no indication yet when an arena plan could come to a vote, either in the council or a public referendum.