This week marked a major milestone at the new Mosaic Stadium which is being celebrated by downtown businesses eager to reap the benefits the new facility has to offer.
The city celebrated the stadium’s substantial completion date Wednesday which means it can now be tested for its intended purposes, with a few finishing touches still in store.
Judith Veresuk with the Regina Downtown Business District sat down with Teri Fikowski to discuss the potential economic spin off from the facility.
Q: We’ve had two years of construction but now that Mosaic stadium is coming to fruition, what do you think that will do economically for Regina?
A: I think any large scale investment like this in a community will bring a lot of economic investment. There’s that thrill of something new and our downtown businesses have seen it in the horizon and they’re getting geared up, so we’re pretty excited about it.
Q: We know the Riders bring in a ton of people from Regina, across the province and even out of province. Are there any concerns for downtown businesses that it’s located slightly farther than the older stadium?
A: We went out and did the walk and it’s only 2,500 steps. I take my dog for a walk every morning and do 3,000 steps so it’s not that far. It’s probably under two kilometers to do the walk. You get the chance to park for free downtown, most likely, on game day if it’s a Friday night, Saturday or Sunday. There are some great restaurants and taverns you can go to pre and post games and they are happy to have you. For instance this weekend for the Labour Day Class, Victoria’s Tavern is having their tailgate party and I know this is something they are testing out for more games next year.
Once the other restaurants see what the business is like downtown we will really hope it will be the tailgate location for Riders’ games next year.
A: The Riders are the most high profile client at the stadium but the city says the facility will host much more including concerts and weddings. I imagine this growth is nothing but good news?
A: Absolutely! That’s something we’re going to work with the city and the Roughriders on. What’s that calendar like and how can we position downtown and market downtown as the place to go before and after.
Q: Further down the line the old Mosaic Stadium will be torn down with plans for housing, green spaces and a pedestrian link to downtown. What do these new developments do in enhancing Regina’s vibrancy?
A: The plans for the walkway along the north side of the tracks are complete. We’re just ready to get the shovel in the ground and hopefully that will start next year. This year at one of the home games we counted how many people walked from downtown and the number is close to 5,500 people.
Making that pedestrian experience from downtown to the new stadium is crucial to keeping those 5,500 people walking, as well as perhaps gaining a few more.
I know the parking is limited out at Evraz Place so making downtown and that whole walkway an enjoyable experience is something that is at the forefront of both the city and our collective minds.
If you want to take a tour of the new Mosaic Stadium the city is hosting an open house September 3rd from 8 am to 4 pm.
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