It's not the '11th hour for the Coliseum,' Edmonton councillor argues
Natasha Riebe | CBC News | Posted: December 8, 2017 2:58 AM | Last Updated: December 8, 2017
'It’s a cavernous building that will be very expensive to maintain,' mayor counters
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson found himself in the middle of a debate Thursday morning, a debate he likely thought he wouldn't be in again.
The option to salvage the iconic Coliseum building, former home of the Edmonton Oilers, was once again on the table at the end of another council meeting.
"I thought we were done," Iveson told the meeting. "I think the time is up for the building."
Iveson said he believes the Northlands Coliseum is a liability to the city.
"The longer we wait, the more money we waste," he argued.
"It's a cavernous building that will be very expensive to maintain in the realm of a couple million dollars a year if you were going to use it — to keep the lights on, to keep the pipes from freezing, to keep the roof from leaking."
Even if the building were demolished — at an estimated cost to the city of between $15 million and $25 million — he said the site would require $1.5 million a year to maintain, a price tag that got Iveson thinking of ditching the land altogether.
On Wednesday, Iveson said the city should invite requests for proposals from the private sector to take over the land. In the end, it would have less impact on the taxpayers, he said.
- More options on the table for Northlands Coliseum, mayor says
- Demolishing Coliseum could cost up to $25M, city report says
- RIP Northlands: Edmonton mourns, mocks closure of old arena
But Coun. Tony Caterina argued in favour of saving the building.
"It's an important piece of property, it's an important building," Caterina said. "It seems like the eleventh hour for the Coliseum, but it really isn't."
He argued that spending $1.5 million to maintain the site is small compared to what the city spends on other infrastructure.
"Certainly it's not really a lot of money given that we spent $600 million on a new arena."
An agreement between the city and the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) prevents any group from using the building for sports or entertainment.
Caterina wants the OEG, led by Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz, to reconsider the deal.
"Mr. Katz can deem that playing marbles is sport or entertainment, so virtually anything under this particular agreement —we're stuck," Caterina said.
"As a good corporate citizen, it might be helpful if there's some leeway that we could use the building for something else," he said. "I'm not saying that's the end result, but at least to ask the question."
Iveson agreed the wording of the city's agreement with the OEG is so broad that almost anything could be interpreted as entertainment.
"Even, you know, a paintball operation in there, that might be entertainment for some people," Iveson said. "It's kind of fun."
Council is asking staff to report back in the new year on the potential risks and benefits to the city of redeveloping the 17 acres north 118 Avenue.