Another note concerning that "feasibility report" on a new Edmonton arena: locals may have missed the recent announcement that the obsolete, crumbling, cramped, technically inadequate Rexall Place is, despite everything, one of the planet's highest-traffic music venues. I was curious to see whether the much-touted report would address this fact. It does! Right on page 13!
Rexall Place, under Northlands’ management, is currently the third-busiest concert venue in Canada and 12th in the world. A new sports/entertainment facility will build on this success.
And how are we going to build on the success of Rexall Place? By tearing the fucker down! Sheer common sense, isn't it?
Let there be no doubt in your mind that the old Coliseum might escape the wrecking ball, by the way:
Should a new sports/entertainment facility move forward, the subcommittee assumed that the existing Rexall Place would not continue to operate. Under this circumstance, the City and Northlands will have to decide the best use of that land and facility, including its own potential neighbourhood redevelopment opportunity. This could, in turn, generate funding which could be used to support the new facility and/or support the rejuvenation of the 118 Avenue area.
Or it could just be something else we pour a mess of tax dollars into. Which reminds me: when we built an LRT station right next to the Coliseum in the '70s, did anyone come right out and say "This facility will essentially be abandoned by the city long before Helen Mirren stops taking her clothes off in movies"?
Comments (14)
Let's be fair. If you're heading southbound from an Eskimos game, Coliseum Station is going to be useful as "the station that you ride one stop from Commonwealth to get to so you can get a seat on your longer ride home".
Posted by Lord Bob | March 26, 2008 12:20 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 12:20
Whoa whoa whoa: what movie did Helen Mirren get nekkid in?
Posted by Little Fury | March 26, 2008 1:51 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 13:51
Pretty much all of them.
Posted by Colby Cosh | March 26, 2008 2:11 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 14:11
So you're counting her accidental nipple-slip in the Dawn of the Dead remake?
Posted by Jason | March 26, 2008 2:42 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 14:42
Everything from Calendar Girls to Caligula. Er, so I've been told.
Posted by Garnet | March 26, 2008 3:37 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 15:37
And how are we going to build on the success of Rexall Place? By tearing the fucker down! Sheer common sense, isn't it?
Is there some attribute of Rexall Place that accounts for this wild success that it's successor would not have? I'm assuming acoustics isn't it.
Posted by KevinG | March 26, 2008 5:40 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 17:40
The usage figures impose an incredibly powerful presumption that Rexall is comfortable for touring acts and is capable of meeting the technical requirements of even the most lavish tours. The new SupArena is presumably going to be a hockey-first facility (if it isn't, there's a pretty horrible fraud being put over on the public), so we probably can't count on the acoustics to be any better there.
Posted by Colby Cosh | March 26, 2008 5:48 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 17:48
Colby, the acoustics will be WORLD-CLASS.
Signed,
Edmonton Journal
Posted by Andy Grabia | March 26, 2008 9:37 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 21:37
Fair enough. I wouldn't know Rexall Place from Peyton Place but I can't see that much draw from a venue that is, ultimately, just another hockey arena. Doesn't Edmonton have the West Edmonton Mall too?
Posted by KevinG | March 26, 2008 9:45 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 21:45
No, that's located in Calgary.
Posted by Colby Cosh | March 26, 2008 9:47 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 21:47
Doh, and all those panicky christmas hours wasted at Chinook.
Posted by KevinG | March 26, 2008 9:49 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 21:49
West Edmonton Mall is actually in Edmonton, Kentucky.
Posted by Mike Jenkinson | March 27, 2008 10:58 AM
Posted on March 27, 2008 10:58
I thought West Edmonton Mall was an easy walk from the Angel Green British Rail station.
Posted by FACLC | March 27, 2008 7:17 PM
Posted on March 27, 2008 19:17
All of this discussion is making me fonder and fonder of Arthur Griffiths, the former owner of the Canucks who drove the creation of The Garage, and which required no public money.
So I guess that means us addle-pated Lotuslanders are better capitalists than you oily beefeaters.
Seriously, what is the theoretical problem with Rexall? In the case of GM Place, I think Orca Bay (the Canucks/GM Place/ex-Grizzlies) got three things: venue ownership, 88 "luxury suites", and all the mod cons. It seats 18,000 or so, a 2000-seat bump from Pacific Coliseum, (which matters a lot, since the Canucks have sold out every game in the last 5 years).
Of course, my theory is that Edmonton combines everything bad about Alberta with everything bad about other left-leaning city centres across Canada, but I doubt that opinion will remain here unremarked.
Posted by Ryan Cousineau | March 31, 2008 2:01 PM
Posted on March 31, 2008 14:01