Over 6,000 Regina residents took part in a survey asking Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) what they can do to help to bring more people to Evraz Place 2.0. and the results are in.
The survey is part of the Vision 2020 strategic plan which ends at the end of 2019 and helps devise a plan for the next 10 – 15 years at the hub for Regina entertainment.
The survey also revealed that maintenance on the properties is a priority, and a district-style area is desired for residents to enjoy the area.
“That concept of a district, or the clustering of amenities, what we realized through this process is people want more than football games,” Ried said.
“They want to come to an opportunity for a great food experience before the game. They want to go to the game, and then they want somewhere they can go after they’ve watched the football game. They want a better experience that’s more complex than what is available today.”
The report pointed to recently developed districts like Kansas City’s Power & Light District, Ottawa’s Landsdowne Park, and Columbus Ohio’s Arena District.
There are just under 5,000 parking spaces in that space, and Ried said adding opportunities for experiences before and after football games will also ease the flow of traffic during that time.
Reid said the district-style approach is something they’re looking into, and he said it may not need public funding when taking into note other cities who have privately funded their district areas
“I don’t think this is a matter of additional tax dollars spent. This is leveraging the 100-acres of our site to be a better activation and entertainment district,” Reid said.
The Future Committee, responsible for evaluating Evraz Place’s future options, laid out 14 outcomes, and in November the long term strategic plan will be presented to city council, with implementation beginning Jan. 1 2020 if approved. The future of the Brandt Centre is one of the Committee’s 14 outcomes.
Ried said “a plan is necessary, relatively soon” for the Brandt Centre. Although he noted there isn’t one, he said the public has shown an interest in finding out.
The former Mosaic Stadium, known as Taylor Field, is not part of the plan, and Ried added: “the focus didn’t step across any of the boundaries of our site at this time.”
There will be a phased approach for the development of the decided changes, with five years for each phase.
The report also pulled opinions and data from open houses, focus groups, and social media.