Future of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon does not yet include downtown

For those who think a new downtown arena in Saskatoon is imminent, think again.

Will Lofdahl, CEO of SaskTel Centre, says there is a process when it comes to deciding whether the 30-year-old arena will undergo renovations or if building a new facility makes sense.

"Well, everyone has an opinion," Lofdahl said. "My position would be rather than having an opinion, let's do an analysis and do our homework before we develop an opinion."

At some point in time, we have to take a look at how to keep this place competitive for years to come.- Will Lofdahl, CEO of SaskTel Centre

Lofdahl explained thata third party consultant or contractor wouldbe hired soonto look at what needs fixing in the arena.

"We would not be doing our job if we weren't trying to think ahead and trying to think of what we need to do to stay competitive," he said.

When Lofdahl talks about competitiveness, he said he is not just speaking about attracting major sporting events like the World Junior Hockey Championships to Saskatoon.

New arenas in Winnipeg and Edmonton will soon make it even more challenging to attract bigmusical acts. Next month, pop star Rihanna is playing arena shows in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, but skipping over Saskatoon.

"We are going to be the older of the venues in this area in the very near future. So at some point in time, we have to take a look at how to keep this place competitive for years to come," Lofdahl said.

Upgrades thatneed to happeninclude the 30-year-oldelectrical and plumbing systems, Lofdahl said.

Downtown not always the best option

Last week, Randy Fernets from Tourism Saskatoon appeared on CBC'sSaskatoon Morning and ignited the debate over building a major downtown sports facility. He said he would have liked to see a facility included in the City of Saskatoon's growth plan.

Fernets said he believessuch a facility wouldattract more visitors to Saskatoon and spur economic growth.

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Victor Matheson is one of many economists who think otherwise.

Matheson teaches at the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts and has studied the economics of sports stadiums in the United States for decades.

"If you're building an arena, you're not in the neighbourhood redevelopment business. You're in it to maximize revenue for your franchise or entertainment space," Mathesonexplained.

"That doesn't mean bringing people to town so they can spend money at someone else's restaurant,it means bringing people into downtown so they are spending money inside your arena."

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What do to the tenants think?

The two main tenants of theSaskTel Centre are the WHL's Saskatoon Blades and NLL's Saskatchewan Rush. The franchises said they are happy with the facility and neither is pushing for a new downtown arena. Although, both admit some changes would enhance the game-day experience.

"We don't notice those infrastructure issues that the building has to come to grips with. The things we take more notice in are things like lights and how we can enhance our game-day presentation," Blades PresidentSteve Hoglesaid.

Lee Genier is the new kid in the arena. He is the president of the Saskatchewan Rush, which has been drawing large crowds in their inaugural season in Saskatoon.

Genier saidcrowds of 13,000 people are causing some parking challenges but that arena staff are helping to meet the high demand.

"I know Western Concessions has put on extra people to make sure they fulfil all the needs of fans because as we've grown, they've grown with us," he said.

A long road to downtown

Hogle alreadyknows the effort it takes to get a downtown arena built.

Before moving to Saskatoon in 2013 to join the Blades, Hogle worked for Daryl Katz,the owner of theEdmonton Oilers and Oilers Entertainment Group.

Hogle spent five years working on Edmonton's downtown arena project, which is scheduled to open this fall. He said there is great value in downtown arenas, but they don't happen overnight.

"In Edmonton, it took more than 15 years for that dream to become a reality. You need to initially float the trial balloon and see if there's interest in it," Hogle explained, adding there needs to be traction behind the project before research can even begin.

"You also have to demonstrate there is a need for such a facility. If there is an agreement that there is a greater benefit to build a new downtown arena, you also need the political will to do it."