Riders' new lease agreement up for approval by Regina City Council

Regina City Council is being asked to approve a new lease agreement withthe Saskatchewan Roughriders for the Canadian Football League team's use of Mosaic Stadium.

Under the previous deal, the Riders paid$200,000 a year in rent, withproperty taxes and utilities extra. The total was about $660,000 in 2014.

Under the proposed new lease, the community-owned teamwould pay $230,000 or 15 per cent more plus taxes and utilities. Thedeal would lastthree years and run to Jan. 31, 2018.

By that time, the Riders will have left Mosaic Stadium and will be playing in the new stadium at EvrazPlace.

The new venue, which is budgeted to cost $278 million, will be home to the Roughriders in time for the2017 season.

The plan after that is to demolish the old building tomakeway fora new neighbourhooddevelopment. It'spart of the city's"revitalization initiative" project.

The new lease deal was already approved by the city's executive committee and goes before the City Council tonight for final approval.