Wednesday marks another point in the process of developing a downtown arena district in Edmonton. The “360 Architecture” team behind the development unveiled its designs to City Council, and took part in a significant question and answer with city councilors.
“This will be a landmark building,” vowed architect Scott Ralston.
“The building has taken on, abstractly, the shape of an oil drop,” explains architect George Heinlein. “We were also inspired by the snow drifts… and the power and fluidity of the game of hockey itself.”
The schematic diagrams really only represent 12% actual design, but they’re giving council, and Edmontonians a better understanding of how the downtown arena district will look like, how it will incorporate the Oilers, the City and downtown community, and – of course – how much it will cost.
The images provided by American firm “360 Architecture” are intended to show what can be constructed within the $450-million maximum budget. The design teams says it will be able to present council with a 60% design and a “guaranteed maximum price” by the end of the year.
While cost and funding concerns were brought up by several councillors, Councillor Amarjeet Sohi admitted, “when we were proceeded with LRT projects… we did not wait for all the money to come in.”
“That’s the nature of how we proceed with these projects.”
Councillor Sohi also confirmed the City’s total financial contribution to the project will be $207 million.
The design images reflect how the district will come together, and all it will contain, including spaces for retail development, office space, lounges, private suites, the arena, locker rooms, a community rink, pedways, restaurants, press level broadcast booths, general admission athletic club, and a winter garden.
“We see great opportunity for that space,” says Heinlein. With this proposal, the firm is “trying to ensure that we provide to your city a world class piece of architecture… what we believe will be the best arena in North America.”
Once council looks over the framework, the design team will seek out public input and continue contacting community stakeholders May 24th onward.
The architecture firm says it’s trying to incorporate the present community in the design, and have the new district communicate with the already existing elements of downtown.
“We recognized the strong attributes that the downtown core already has,” says Ralston.
Still, councillors raised concerns, including questions surrounding which party would be funding/maintaining/operating the proposed community rink, how the facility would be attractive and useful to Edmontontians when hockey games are not being played, howthe LRT stop is incorporated and paid for, naming rights, and the elusive $100 million shortfall.
“I’m concerned about what happens to the building when it’s not in use,” says Councillor Ben Henderson. “A lot of the activity will clearly happen in the evenings…what animates that building… when there isn’t anything happening inside?”
The new images – which include retail space, community areas as well as the hockey arena – will be shown to city councillors, who can ask questions during the council meeting, and then taken to four open houses May 29 and June 5-7.
Councillors will vote on whether to accept the layout at a meeting July 4 following public feedback, which can also be provided online or by calling 311.
The master agreement on the project between the city and Oilers owner Daryl Katz, based on a framework accepted by both sides last October, is also expected to come to a vote at the July 4 meeting.
If the schematics are approved, designers will complete 60 per cent of the plans and put the project out for bids early next year. The earliest construction start date is estimated to be early 2013.
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