Moncton residents 'disheartened' by downtown centre's delays

Moncton city councillors heard from three citizens on Monday night who are growing frustrated withthe delays in obtaining federal and provincial funding for the $107-million downtown sports and entertainment centre.

The city wants to build the downtown centre on the old Highfield Square mall property, but the other two levels of government have not anted up roughly $24 million apiece to help out.

This has prompted fingerpointing in political and business circles, but it has also caused frustration among some residents.

Adam Conter moved from Halifax to Moncton and now lives downtown on St. George Street.

He sees the downtown centre as a catalyst for Moncton and the province's future.

"Otherwise, we are just another small rural city in a broke province and that will be a large challenge down the road," he said.

The provincial government's financial situation has been used as one of the reasons for the delay in announcing help from Fredericton.

The former Progressive Conservative government had committed to funding the project just prior to the 2014 election. But Premier Brian Gallant has said the funding must be reviewed.

Moncton's Conservative MP has said the federal government is willing to fund infrastructure projects to free up about $23.5 million so Moncton could redirect that cash to the downtown centre. The federal government does not fund sports centres, so MP Robert Goguen has pitched the idea of indirect funding.

However, no official statement has been made by any federal cabinet ministers.

'So disheartened'

For some other Moncton residents, the downtown sports and entertainment centre could be an anchor that wouldkeep people in the city and spending money.

Kevin Arsenault,29, isa finance graduate from the University of Moncton.After seeing all the 'For Sale' signs downtown, he and his wife debated leaving.

"We were so disheartened by what we saw both from an esthetic point of view and from an economic perspective that we spent the rest of that evening sitting on the couch debating our future," he said.

Arsenaultsayshe is staying in Moncton and hoping the downtown centre will revitalize the area.

David Shin moved to Moncton from South Korea in 2010 and now owns a coffee shop.

He saysbusiness is slow in the winter and he hopes the proposedcentre would be an economic jolt for downtown businesses.

"As a business owner, I spent hard times last two and a half years because winter is too long here," he said.