Northlands Coliseum closure leaves businesses in limbo

Businesses near Northlands Coliseum say the city'sdecision to close the arenaat the end of the year leaves them in limbo.

"We've been waiting on pins and needles for a couple of years now," said RickShermack,general manager of Axe Music.

• Northlands Coliseum will close permanently at end of this year
• RIP Northlands: Edmonton mourns, mocks closure of old arena

Businesses were hoping for some time to hear what the city has planned for the area, which also includes the nearby racetrack.But news that the city will wait until after the election to decide what to do with the empty arenais troubling, Shermacksaid.

"We're all waiting to find out before anyone spends any money sprucing up," he said. "I'm a little frustrated."

Shermack said he would like to see the site developed into a multi-surface arena, whether it's a refurbishedColiseum or in a new building.

"It would be good for the area to see families and kids coming through here seven days a week," he said.

He would also like to see some of the Northlands siteredeveloped into high-end retail shopping and high rises.

"The area could use a facelift," he said.

The area has been indecline since the Edmonton Oilers moved to play at the newRogers Place facility downtown a year ago, saidAlykzandrea Broadbent assistant geneneral manager at theColiseum Inn across the street from the Coliseum.

"We've seen a slow decline," Broadbentsaid. "They've being trying to get small events here and there, but it's not enough."

Broadbent said the hotel lost 10 nights a month whenit would be fully booked with Oilers fans for games.

"Unfortunately for the ColiseumInn, we're stuck here. We can't go closer to the activity, so we were hoping more activity would come here."

She saidnow the hotel has to "step up our game" and "reachout for different kinds of business" which may begin with a name change.

Sheldon Oleksyn, executivedirector at the nearby not-for-profit Sports Central, says he's worried about what will replace the Coliseum if it's torndown.

"It was my hope that, respecting the tradition of that building, that space would be maintained and converted into something hockey related," he said."I'm afraid it's just going to bedemolished."

Whatever will be in its place will affect whether the area will be revived, he said.

"This area needs an anchor," he said. "With the Coliseum changing dramatically, we don't know what that means for the area."