Appendix 2 Summary of Community Consultation Meetings.Pdf
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ALL WEATHER MULTI-USE ENTERTAINMENT FACILTY FEASIBILITY STUDY SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION MEETINGS September 2-11, 2009 Prepared by: W. Shupe & Company November 2009 (revised January 2010) Table of Contents Background and Purpose of the Consultation Meetings................................................. 3 Description of the Consultation Meetings ...................................................................... 3 Request for Formal Feedback and Confidentiality ......................................................... 4 SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS................................................. 5 Support for the Entertainment Facility ........................................................................... 5 Support for the Feasibility Study Process....................................................................... 5 Concern about Construction Costs.................................................................................. 6 Support for a Retractable Roof ....................................................................................... 6 Concern about Operational Viability.............................................................................. 6 Support for a Downtown Location ................................................................................. 7 Parking Considerations ................................................................................................... 7 Concern about Community Use of the Entertainment Facility....................................... 7 Concern about Funding Cuts to Existing Sport/Cultural Programs................................ 8 Concern about Conflicts with Existing Entertainment Venues ...................................... 8 Potential Economic Development Opportunities............................................................ 8 Facility Seating Capacity Considerations ..................................................................... 10 Environmental Considerations...................................................................................... 10 Facility Funding Sources .............................................................................................. 11 Organizational/Management Structure ......................................................................... 11 APPENDIX A – LIST OF GROUPS CONSULTED....................................................... 12 Property Owners or Stakeholders Consulted:............................................................... 12 Private Sector Developers Consulted: .......................................................................... 12 Government Departments or Agencies Consulted:....................................................... 12 Entertainment Venues Consulted.................................................................................. 12 Community/Business Groups and Associations Contacted and Consulted:................. 12 Community User Groups Contacted and Consulted:.................................................... 13 Groups Who Provided Letters to the Feasibility Study Workgroup:............................ 13 2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTATION MEETINGS In August, 2009, letters were sent by Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) to a broad spectrum of community and business groups to invite them to a Consultation Meeting in respect of the Feasibility Study on the All Weather Multi-Use Entertainment Facility. Invitations went to Regina community organizations and business associations, property owners on the prospective development site, private sector developers, and certain government departments and agencies. The purpose of the Consultation Meetings was: • to inform the invited parties of the Feasibility Study process and provide them with a presentation from Stadium Consultant’s International (SCI) outlining SCI’s preliminary thoughts on facility design and usage; and, • to provide each of the invited parties with an early opportunity to express any comments, suggestions or concerns that they may have with respect to a potential all-season, multi-use entertainment facility. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSULTATION MEETINGS Between September 2 - 11, 2009, 19 Consultation Meetings took place with 47 community associations, organizations and businesses (hereinafter referred to as “Groups”) with a total of 76 individuals in attendance. Each Meeting lasted about 1½ - 2 hours with the following Agenda: • Brief background information on the highlights of the Stadium Concept Review and the announcement by the Government of Saskatchewan, the Government of Canada, the City of Regina and the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club Inc. to co-participate in a Feasibility Study of an all-season, multi-use entertainment facility to be built in the downtown CP Yards location. • Description of the Feasibility Study process, including: o clarification of CIC’s role as manager of the process, as well as the name and respective roles of the firms who have been retained to contribute to the Feasibility Study; o the targeted completion date of late January, 2010; and, o the Feasibility Study would be for public release. • PowerPoint Presentation by SCI that included: o a brief background of SCI’s global design and consultation experience; 3 o examples of other all-season, multi-use facilities around the world and different retractable roof options; o various design options and configurations, including SCI’s very preliminary “design sketches” for a Regina entertainment facility with capacity ranging from 35,000 (permanent seating) to 50,000 (one-time, special event capacity); o downtown footprint maps with possible site locations, adjacent development site opportunities, and possible traffic/pedestrian flow linkages to both the downtown and warehouse districts; o potential sport, entertainment and other uses of an all-season, multi-use facility; o perceived benefits of the contemplated downtown location, as well as general issues relating to facility traffic and parking; o general comments on the potential economic impact from the entertainment facility, as well as the economic spin-off potential from ancillary/adjacent development opportunities (e.g. hotel, conference centres, residential and commercial real estate development); and, o general discussion on major cost factors associated with the facility construction (e.g. retractable roof, seating capacity, and existing condition of site). REQUEST FOR FORMAL FEEDBACK AND CONFIDENTIALITY At the conclusion of each of the Consultation Meetings, all Groups were invited and encouraged to follow-up the meeting with a formal letter expressing any views, comments or concerns they may have in respect of the Feasibility Study. As at January 13, 2010, letters were received by seven Groups. All those attending the Consultation Meetings were told that their comments and views expressed at the meetings would be received in confidence and would not be for public attribution. See Appendix A – List of Groups Consulted for a list of the community/business groups and organizations who were invited and attended the Consultation Meetings, and those Groups who provided letters subsequent to the Meetings. 4 SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS This section contains a general summary of the comments and observations made during the Consultation Meetings. Given that many of the issues were addressed and discussed by all of the different Groups attending the Meetings (with many similarly expressed views), the narrative description has been arranged by issue or subject matter. SUPPORT FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY Most Groups expressed support for the contemplated all-season, multi-use entertainment facility provided it was found to be economically feasible. No Group expressed opposition or disapproval of the contemplated facility (although a few Groups expressed concern and caution about its economic feasibility). Most discussions around economic feasibility focused on both the initial construction costs (e.g. not being excessive) and ongoing operational viability. The Regina and District Chamber of Commerce advised that a stadium survey of their 1,150 members generated 378 responses (their best survey response ever) and that the response was “dominant support for the project subject to strong evidence that it is feasible”. 73% of respondents supported building a new multi-purpose stadium versus doing nothing (6%) or upgrading the existing stadium (12%), and 9% were undecided or did not know. SUPPORT FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY PROCESS Several Groups commented on the importance of the feasibility study and expressed their approval of the Feasibility Study process, particularly the intended transparent nature of the process. No Group commented negatively on the Feasibility Study process or its estimated cost of $1 million. The Regina and District Chamber of Commerce survey indicated that 97% of respondents thought it was either vitally important or important that a solid business plan be in place prior to making a decision to build a multi-purpose facility. A couple of Groups, however, commented that some people believe the entertainment facility decision is already a fait accompli, and that the Feasibility Study will undoubtedly find the facility feasible. Groups were advised that the Government of Saskatchewan has made its message clear that a new entertainment facility is not a certain outcome, and that the Province and the Feasibility Study co-participants will look to the Study as an important determining