City of Charlottetown CHARLOTTETOWN MULTI-USE FACILITY TASK FORCE COMMITTEE >> Report of Findings: December 2017 1 City of Charlottetown Multi-Use Facility Task Force Report of Findings Contents Executive Summary Part A: Understanding the Infrastructure Challenge Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 4 1 Background and Overview ...................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Establishment of the City’s Task Force ............................................................................ 9 1.2 Composition of Task Force .............................................................................................. 9 1.3 Task Force Objectives ...................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Professional Consulting Resources Deployed ............................................................... 10 1.5 Organization of the Report ............................................................................................ 10 1.6 In-Scope Facilities .......................................................................................................... 10 1.6.1 Multi-Use Sports and Event Centre (MUSEC) ........................................................ 11 1.6.2 Community Recreation Facilities ........................................................................... 11 1.6.3 Combined Community Recreation and Event Centres .......................................... 12 2 Background Information ....................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Prior Analytical Work for a Replacement Event Centre ................................................ 13 2.2 Simmons Sports Centre and Park Master Plan .............................................................. 14 2.3 City of Charlottetown Community Recreation Facility Feasibility Plan ......................... 14 2.4 Bell Aliant Centre Study ................................................................................................. 15 2.5 Eastern Gateway Master Plan ....................................................................................... 15 2.6 Eastern Gateway Secondary Planning Exercise ............................................................. 15 2.7 The Need for a New City-Wide Recreation Facilities Renewal Strategy ....................... 16 3 Characterizing the City’s Existing Facilities ............................................................................ 17 3.1 The Facilities Under Review .......................................................................................... 17 3.2 Current Condition and Required Capital Investment .................................................... 20 3.2.1 Simmons Sports Centre ......................................................................................... 20 3.2.2 Cody Banks Arena .................................................................................................. 22 3.2.3 Eastlink Centre ....................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Recent Historical Operating Performance ..................................................................... 24 3.3.1 Operating Revenue ................................................................................................ 24 3.3.2 Expenses ................................................................................................................ 26 3.3.3 Recovery Rate and Grants ..................................................................................... 28 December 2017 2 City of Charlottetown Multi-Use Facility Task Force Report of Findings Part B: Future Needs and Opportunities 4 Outcomes of Community Consultation ................................................................................. 29 4.1 Approach to Engagement .............................................................................................. 29 4.2 Groups and Organizations Consulted ............................................................................ 30 4.3 Summary of Outcomes and Opportunities ................................................................... 31 4.4 Recommended Future Consultations ............................................................................ 32 5 Why Community Facilities Matter ......................................................................................... 33 5.1 Current and Future Need for Community Ice Facilities ................................................. 33 5.1.1 Charlottetown’s Changing Demographic .............................................................. 33 5.1.2 Existing Indoor Ice Supply ...................................................................................... 34 5.1.3 Existing Indoor Ice Utilization ................................................................................ 35 5.1.4 Existing Indoor Ice Standards of Provision ............................................................ 36 5.2 Conclusions regarding Ice Requirements ...................................................................... 37 6 Why an Event Centre Matters ............................................................................................... 38 6.1 Market Rationale for an Event Centre........................................................................... 38 6.2 Comparisons to Other Cities.......................................................................................... 40 6.3 Recognition of Economic Impact ................................................................................... 41 Part C: Analyzing Options and Locational Choices 7 Establishing A Range of Options ............................................................................................ 42 7.1 The Landscape of Options Considered .......................................................................... 42 7.2 Evaluation of Principal Options ..................................................................................... 43 7.2.1 Pros and Cons of Event Centre Options ................................................................ 43 7.2.2 Pros and Cons of Community Ice Options ............................................................. 44 7.2.3 A Combined Solution for Ice: A New Multi-Use Event Centre PLUS 1 Community Ice Pad ............................................................................................................................... 46 7.3 Site Selection Matters ................................................................................................... 48 7.3.1 Considerations by the Task Force .......................................................................... 48 7.3.2 Preferred Location ................................................................................................. 49 8 Capital Cost Estimates ........................................................................................................... 50 9 Financial Impacts of Proposed Changes ................................................................................ 52 9.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 52 9.2 Basis for Comparison ..................................................................................................... 53 9.3 Financial Comparisons to the Baseline .......................................................................... 53 December 2017 3 City of Charlottetown Multi-Use Facility Task Force Report of Findings 9.4 Conservative Assessment: No Change in Revenues Assumed ...................................... 54 9.5 No Capital Reserve Assumed ......................................................................................... 54 9.6 Results and Confirmation of the Preferred Option ....................................................... 54 9.7 Capital Cost Considerations and Life Cycle Needs ........................................................ 58 10 Next Step: Consideration of Funding Potential ................................................................. 59 APPENDICES A. Indicative Capital Costs for a New MUSEC B. May Facility Tour Report C. Design Functionalities December 2017 4 City of Charlottetown Multi-Use Facility Task Force Report of Findings Executive Summary Introduction This report of findings represents the culmination of the work of the City of Charlottetown Multi-Use Facility Task Force. It presents the results of analysis, consultation and the consideration by the Task Force of a range of alternative solutions to the need for new investment in the City’s community arenas, and in its current Multi-Use Sports and Event Centre (MUSEC), the Eastlink Centre. The result of this work is a belief among the members of the Task Force that change is required, and that planning should now commence to invest in the renewal of these facilities. The work of the Task Force was conducted over approximately 18 months, and comprised regular meetings of the Task Force to consider the issues, receive analysis and opinion, and ultimately to prepare this report. Consultation with user groups was conducted early on and the opinions of these groups on a range of matters pertaining to the facilities and their quality, availability of ice time, and their aspirations for growth of their respective sports