St. John's puts off Mile One subsidy decision

City councillors in St. John's will wait another week before deciding whether to increase by 50 per cent the city's subsidy to the operators of Mile One Centre.

St. John's Sports and Entertainment, the city-owned body that runs Mile One and the adjacent St. John's Convention Centre, has asked for an annual levy of $1.5 million.

The city already puts $1 million into running Mile One and the convention centre.

At their regular weekly meeting Monday evening, councillors deferred a decision for a week.

An economic impact study on Mile One and the convention centre is scheduled to be released next Monday.

Mile One opened in 2001, as the new home for the St. John's Maple Leafs hockey team. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved its farm team to Toronto in 2005.

A year ago, St. John's Sports and Entertainment reported an annual loss of $1.5 million, and this spring its overall debt was pegged at more than $7 million.

Management has been rebranding Mile One, dropping "stadium" from its title and recasting itself as Mile One Centre, with a greater focus on performers and entertainment.