Plans for downtown Saskatoon should consider an arena in the Central Business District, according to an administration report set to go before City Council’s Governance and Priorities Committee.
The report points to potential combined benefits between an arena-convention centre and with other Downtown amenities such as restaurants, hotels, and a vibrant shopping district, according to a city news release.
“There will need to be a further analysis of Downtown infrastructure,” director of planning and development Lesley Anderson said in the release.
“Next we have to explore the effects of any new facilities on roads, parking, water, sewer and how to mitigate potential impacts.”
Future City Councils will have to weigh the benefits of a downtown location and its role as a catalyst for development against other community goals, the report says.
Another report outlines what funding may or may not be possible.
“This analysis is not intended to provide funding strategy for such a project,” chief financial officer Kerry Tarasoff said in the release.
“We want the Committee to have some information and to highlight what some of those financing options could look like.”
Since 2005, in cities without NHL teams, on average about 60 per cent of the funding for arenas or stadiums has been funded by the municipality, the report says.
That funding includes Mosaic Stadium in Regina, with the city picking up about 62 per cent of the bill.
