Arena and Entertainment District Public Consultations

Main page content begins here

The City held two extensive public consultation processes on the proposed arena and entertainment district:

Spring 2012 - to gather feedback on the schematic designs
Winter 2010 - to consult Edmontonians on the arena project

Input gathered assisted City Council in making decisions surrounding the proposed Downtown Arena and Entertainment District.

2012 Consultation Summary

Schematic Design Consultation (Spring 2012)

This consultation sought input on the schematic designs for the downtown arena and related facilities on the site.

Feedback was gathered through:

online questionnaires
public open houses
a display and questionnaires at City Hall
mail-out questionnaires for those without Internet access
a stakeholder session (as per the City’s Public Involvement Policy)

These consultations took place in May and June 2012. Results found that:

82% agreed the Arena would be an identifiable image and landmark for Edmonton
79% saw the Community Rink as a valued recreation opportunity to the downtown and surrounding areas
74% agreed the arena would provide an anchor for revitalizing the surrounding area

A final report on this consultation process was presented to Council on July 17, 2012.

Most Frequently Heard Comments

The most favourable aspects of the design were considered to be:

The exterior design is iconic
The design’s potential to revitalize downtown
The inclusion of the Community Skating Rink

Edmontonians wanted to ensure that:

There is greater opportunity for interaction along 104 Avenue (for example more storefronts)
There is an opportunity for public programming in the Winter Garden
That the Arena be built/operated in an environmentally sustainable way

There were six elements of the design examined in total:

Exterior Visuals

82% agreed the Arena would be an identifiable image and landmark for Edmonton
79% agreed the Arena will enhance the visual attractiveness of the area

Winter Garden

Over three-quarters of the respondents felt the Winter Garden public space would benefit Edmontonians (78%), and that it effectively connected the areas north and south of 104th Avenue (76%)

Community Skating Rink

79% saw the Community Rink as a valued recreation opportunity for the downtown and surrounding areas
76% agreed the Community Rink is an important part of integrating the overall arena into the surrounding areas

Community Integration

Nearly three-quarters felt the Arena would be well connected to other downtown venues/sites (75%), and nearby neighbourhoods and local businesses (74%)
72% agreed the arena is designed to be open, welcoming and integrated into the local streetscape
74% agreed the arena would provide an anchor for revitalizing the surrounding area

Interior Design and Sustainability

80% agreed the interior design is attractive and makes good use of the interior spaces
73% felt the environmental sustainability is adequately addressed in the design

Transportation and Parking

62% were satisfied that the road system would accommodate the traffic
58% felt that the parking was adequate

2010 Consultation Summary

Arena Project Consultation (Winter 2010)

This public consultation included:

an online questionnaire that received 29,000 responses
well-attended public open houses
a statistically valid telephone survey
two stakeholder sessions (list of invitees)

The consultations sought input on:

The concept of a Downtown Arena and Entertainment facility
The funding model for a Downtown Arena and Entertainment facility
The impact of a Downtown Arena and Entertainment facility

These consultations took place in November and December 2010. Results from the statistically valid survey found that:

67% of Edmontonians supported or strongly supported a downtown arena
68% said they believed it would help revitalize downtown
82% citing specific benefits such as increased tourism, more investment and development

A final report on this consultation process was presented to Council on January 17, 2011.

Awareness and Importance

Awareness of the discussion around a new arena is very high. 96% of respondents had heard of it
68% believe it will revitalize downtown

Overall Support

59% support building an arena
Majority of people (67%) either agree or strongly agree that public money could be used as long as it does not raise property taxes or reallocate infrastructure funds

82% cited perceived benefits including (most mentions):

Economic benefits/more tax revenue (25%)
Downtown revitalization (17%)
Increased tourism (15%)

Funding

56% support a mix of public/private funding
User-pay models are the most popular funding options (76%)
53% strongly or somewhat disagree with the CRL concept, while 41% strongly or somewhat support
People are strongly in favour of a public/private agreement on financial risks and benefits.

Assurances

People want to see some assurances if the City is to invest in this project. Those include discussions on:

How the local community will be consulted
How financial risk will be shared
A location agreement for the Oilers
The plan for Rexall Place
Public investment into arena, but not retail

Specifics of Telephone Survey

In the field from December 20 – 23, 2010
800 randomly selected adults in Edmonton
Representative sample. Data weighted to reflect accurate gender balance
Considered accurate to +/-3.5%, 19 times out of 20