[Moncton] Centre Avenir Centre | 26.65m |~6 Fl | Completed

[MonctonRad]

Here is the T&T article regarding the city council's decision to modify the RFP:

More seats for new events centre?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Times & Transcript
By: Brent Mazerolle
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=12733

Those who want a proposed downtown multi-purpose events centre to have more seats may get their wish.

Moncton city council voted in a special public session of council yesterday afternoon to give greater weight to the question of seat count in the request for proposals that the City of Moncton is issuing to two pre-qualified proponents.

Requests for proposals typically contain numerous criteria which are weighted according to the issuer’s wishes.

What council approved yesterday afternoon is an amendment to their request for proposals that offers a “seat count bonus,” as city manager Jacques Dube described it.

Starting with a base of 9,000 seats, the city’s RFP evaluators will now award up to six points of a total 55 available to any proponent. Demerit points are also in the mix. A proponent who fails to meet the 9,000 seat minimum will have points deducted.

Still another feature of the amendment provides incentive to go over the new limit. If a proponent comes up with a plan for 9,000 seats, but if the other proponent comes up with more seats the bonus and demerits system kicks in

Council had approved the original RFP last month, but some, including Mayor George LeBlanc, said the first draft set the bar too low by talking about 7,500 seats as the preferred size.

“When this was last before council I made the difficult decision to vote against the proposal before us,”LeBlanc said yesterday.

“I had great difficulty with a proposal that called for 7,500 seats,”he said, explaining he would support the amendment because it was better than the previous proposal.

He still wasn’t completely satisfied, though.

“What it (the amendment) does not do is set the bar at 9,000 minimum,” Le-Blanc said.

If either or both proponents, Ellis Don and Bird Construction, decide to give up the chance at the seat count bonus points in favour of making other elements of their proposal more attractive, they will do so, as the seat number is not a deal-breaker.

The consulting firm Deloitte has been hired by the City of Moncton to help the city navigate the complex process, and one of Deloitte’s representatives was before council last month.

“We’ve heard from these two bidders that 7,500 seats makes sense to them,” David Chemla said at the time. He reminded the mayor the two aspects of the project – the design-build-finance of construction, and the operation and maintenance of the facility once it is built – mean “you are transferring the bottom-line risk to the proponents.”

The city’s request for proposals also sets an affordability cap of $91.5 million on the centre. Coming in below that figure means there is a cap at some point on the number of seats the facility could have.

Nevertheless, council was unanimous in supporting the amendment, which at least gets people thinking big again.

Seven of council’s 10 members were present for the vote. Pierre Boudreau, Paulette Theriault and Paul Pellerin were absent.

The deadline to submit RFP’s is Aug. 15, 2014.

So, the T&T is as skeptical as I am that the preferred bidders will be keen to up the seat count. I do think that they will likely boost the count to 8,000 or so, but the way the RFP is structured, I seriously doubt we will see the desired 9-10,000 seats…...

[Monctoncore]

My biggest worry is that the Provincial government won't supply adequate funding or even possibly the Federal, I just hate for everyone to get excited about this project and then get let down because there is no funding. I can't see that actually happening, but it is a fear in the back of my mind, especially with myself being so excited about this project.

We can all hope that the developers will see that and take the right steps to boost the amount of seating but still keep the project affordable, sadly we will have to wait a little longer before we here what the final decisions.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Here is the T&T article regarding the city council's decision to modify the RFP:

More seats for new events centre?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Times & Transcript
By: Brent Mazerolle
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=12733

Those who want a proposed downtown multi-purpose events centre to have more seats may get their wish.

Moncton city council voted in a special public session of council yesterday afternoon to give greater weight to the question of seat count in the request for proposals that the City of Moncton is issuing to two pre-qualified proponents.

Requests for proposals typically contain numerous criteria which are weighted according to the issuer’s wishes.

What council approved yesterday afternoon is an amendment to their request for proposals that offers a “seat count bonus,” as city manager Jacques Dube described it.

Starting with a base of 9,000 seats, the city’s RFP evaluators will now award up to six points of a total 55 available to any proponent. Demerit points are also in the mix. A proponent who fails to meet the 9,000 seat minimum will have points deducted.

Still another feature of the amendment provides incentive to go over the new limit. If a proponent comes up with a plan for 9,000 seats, but if the other proponent comes up with more seats the bonus and demerits system kicks in

Council had approved the original RFP last month, but some, including Mayor George LeBlanc, said the first draft set the bar too low by talking about 7,500 seats as the preferred size.

“When this was last before council I made the difficult decision to vote against the proposal before us,”LeBlanc said yesterday.

“I had great difficulty with a proposal that called for 7,500 seats,”he said, explaining he would support the amendment because it was better than the previous proposal.

He still wasn’t completely satisfied, though.

“What it (the amendment) does not do is set the bar at 9,000 minimum,” Le-Blanc said.

If either or both proponents, Ellis Don and Bird Construction, decide to give up the chance at the seat count bonus points in favour of making other elements of their proposal more attractive, they will do so, as the seat number is not a deal-breaker.

The consulting firm Deloitte has been hired by the City of Moncton to help the city navigate the complex process, and one of Deloitte’s representatives was before council last month.

“We’ve heard from these two bidders that 7,500 seats makes sense to them,” David Chemla said at the time. He reminded the mayor the two aspects of the project – the design-build-finance of construction, and the operation and maintenance of the facility once it is built – mean “you are transferring the bottom-line risk to the proponents.”

The city’s request for proposals also sets an affordability cap of $91.5 million on the centre. Coming in below that figure means there is a cap at some point on the number of seats the facility could have.

Nevertheless, council was unanimous in supporting the amendment, which at least gets people thinking big again.

Seven of council’s 10 members were present for the vote. Pierre Boudreau, Paulette Theriault and Paul Pellerin were absent.

The deadline to submit RFP’s is Aug. 15, 2014.

So, the T&T is as skeptical as I am that the preferred bidders will be keen to up the seat count. I do think that they will likely boost the count to 8,000 or so, but the way the RFP is structured, I seriously doubt we will see the desired 9-10,000 seats…...

[MonctonRad]

I'm pretty sure Alward is on board. The provincial Liberals I'm less certain about.

As far as the feds are concerned, their participation is not guaranteed, although it remains to be seen if there are creative ways out there for them to help. I see that they have just found an innovative way to dispose of the old Shannon Park DND site in Dartmouth so that land is available for a possible new football stadium in Halifax, while at the same time dealing with an outstanding aboriginal land claim.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...-dnd-1.2626083

Something creative might be done here too. If the city and the province are on board, I think the feds will offer something, especially with a federal election coming up next year…….

[Monctoncore]

Very Interesting Monctonrad, I did not know about the federal government doing stuff like that, well hopefully they can get everything going soon before its too late!

[Future_Man]

Why does the taxpayer need to pay for this? Why can't Robert Irving cut a $50 million cheque and starrt building this summer because this project whether you beleive it or not is 99% about the Wildcats org. #EndIrvingWelfare

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Future_Man

Why does the taxpayer need to pay for this? Why can't Robert Irving cut a $50 million cheque and starrt building this summer because this project whether you beleive it or not is 99% about the Wildcats org. #EndIrvingWelfare

If you think Robert Irving would write a $50M cheque for the events centre, then you are dreaming in technicolour.....

I find the love/hate relationship (mostly hate) that many New Brunswickers have with the Irvings rather distressing. Sure, the Irvings have disproportionate sway with the government (regardless of the party in power), and sure the media ownership by the Irvings in this province is distressing, but this doesn't take away from the fact that NB would be nothing more than a federal territory rather than a province if they weren't here. They deserve more respect than they often get.

The events centre will be a municipally owned facility. The Irving owned Wildcats will be nothing more than a tenant. They will pay rent to use the facilitiy, much as the Miracles will, and the facility will also be leased out for other special events as well.

The main reason to build the events centre is to help revitalize the downtown core, and also to support events and sports tourism in the city. The tourism aspect cannot be overstated since it has been shown that Moncton is the only city in the region where tourism has been increasing over the last 5-10 years. We need to build on this strength. We need to have a facility attractive for major performances (concerts, Cirque de Soleil, major theatrical events) and also for major sporting events (Memorial Cup, figure skating championships, major curling events etc). We are losing out on these events now because the Coliseum is no longer adequate as a performance venue.

These are all municipal concerns. The only one of these that Irving would care about is the Memorial Cup. As long as he were OK with the fact that he would never again host a Memorial Cup, he might just be as happy to stay at the Coliseum. It would be cheaper for him and the parking is plentiful.

I repeat, the events centre project is designed to revitalize the downtown core, and to support sports and events tourism. Irving would be a beneficiary for sure, but this is not the principle reason for undertaking the project.

[Mattyyy]

Just out of curiosity. The plan calls for shovels to be in the ground this January to start building the Events Center however there is no sign of demolition. Has anybody heard any rumors circulating lately and does it now seem unrealistic that this thing will ever get off the ground for January?

[MonctonRad]

See this excerpted quote from the T&T earlier this year:

Meanwhile, council unanimously accepted a project schedule earlier this month that shifts around the order of steps a bit but does not alter the overall plan to issue the request for proposals by March 2014 and to select a successful proponent by the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015.

Once a proposal is selected, the negotiations between the successful proponent and the city would likely take until the end of 2014 or into early 2015. Assuming the latter, construction would start in the summer of 2016 and take about 18 months, bringing the city to New Year's of 2017. The city has hired the firm Deloitte as a professional consultant on the project, to help it through the process.

The preferred candidates have until September (I think) to repond to the RFP. The best proposal will then be selected and negotiations will then ensue. Contracts could be signed in early 2015, with a proposed construction start in 2016.

As for Highfield demolition, I don't have any new info, but if construction for the events centre doesn't start until 2016, there really isn't any rush.....

[MonctonRad]

New Moncton downtown centre secures $24M from province

City is still looking for equal amount from the federal government
CBC News Posted: Aug 20, 2014 11:59 AM AT
Last Updated: Aug 20, 2014 11:59 AM AT

The provincial government will contribute up to $23.85 million toward construction of a new Moncton downtown entertainment centre, which will include a concert venue, meeting space and an NHL-size rink.

Economic Development Minister Bruce Fitch made the announcement on Wednesday at the former Highfield Square location, where the new complex will be built.

Funding announced for downtown entertainment centre for Moncton
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc, Economic Development Minister Bruce Fitch and Moncton West MLA Sue Stulz participated in Wednesday's announcement. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

​"This new centre will mean Moncton is able to continue to attract big-ticket entertainers year-round," said Fitch.

"It will allow the city to build on its reputation as the entertainment capital of the Maritimes, and stimulate growth and revitalization in the downtown," he said.

Mayor George LeBlanc says the city is still hoping to secure $24 million from the federal government for the project, which is expected to cost about $100 million.

The city is still working on finalizing the $12.5-million agreement to purchase the Highfield Square property as the site for the new development, said LeBlanc.

He expects that will be completed soon and the old mall will be demolished this fall.

Council will issue the request for proposals to build the new centre by the end of the year and award the contract by the end of 2015, said LeBlanc.

Construction is expected to begin by early 2016, resulting in more than 700 jobs, he said.

The development will also include outdoor public spaces to host a variety of entertainment, cultural and community events, officials said.

About 50 jobs are expected to be created once the facility is fully operational.

[David_99]

How secure is this contribution, seeing as how there's an election next month?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

How secure is this contribution, seeing as how there's an election next month?

Not very secure at all (unless Alward wins the election; which is unlikely).

Still, The Liberal's power base tends to be in the east of the province, and they are running strong candidates in Moncton. The Liberal leader Gallant is running in an exurban riding, so I imagine that the Liberal's will probably honour whatever commitment Alward is making (if not improve upon it).

I imagine the events centre is a harder sell for the PC's, given that all the most powerful PC cabinet ministers are from Saint John and Alward is from the upper river valley.

I was never too concerned about the provincial contribution in any event. The really tough nut to crack is the federal government……...

[Taeolas]

Fed election is coming up too; so hopefully they'll toss some funding this way to try and buy votes and by the time the actual Fed Election happens, it'll be too far along to cancel.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Fed election is coming up too; so hopefully they'll toss some funding this way to try and buy votes and by the time the actual Fed Election happens, it'll be too far along to cancel.

Fed election is a lock for incumbent so don't expect the shenanigans the PC's are trying the last few months.

Unfortunately this announcement is pointless. Will be very difficult for Liberals to match this as Gallant is running on cutting costs.

[mmmatt]

Great news but the timing is a real bummer...makes it sounds like a last ditch effort to buy some votes

This should have been a promise in the last election!

Here's hoping the funding comes through regardless... and we can get the Feds on board as well!

[JHikka]

Financial support is financial support, election promise or not. From a political party perspective it makes sense to announce funding for things prior to elections (when people are paying attention to these things) rather than in the doldrums of mid-mandate. Politically this only makes sense. The electorate has notorious short-term memory and there's no guarantee that an announcement two years ago would have provided the same level of support that one during the writ would, or is.

[MonctonRad]

from the City of Moncton website:

City of Moncton signs Downtown Centre land deal
August 22, 2014

MONCTON – The City of Moncton is pleased to announce that it has acquired ownership of the Highfield Square property at the agreed upon price of $12.5 million.

“This site is the ideal location to build our Downtown Centre, and this deal marks an important milestone in moving this project forward,” explained Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc. “I am thrilled to have this transaction completed.

Highfield Square was once a symbol of prosperity and progress. It now sits dark and empty. The proposed downtown centre will return this site to its former glory and be a landmark for our downtown for years to come. ”

As part of the transaction conditions, the vendor will begin demolition and environmental work in the near future, which is expected to be completed within the next 90 days.

NOTE TO MEDIA: An event will be planned in the next few days. Please stay tuned for formal invitation. Thank you!

personal note - Bye bye Highfield Square (and good riddance).

[Hogie75]

Its about time

[Walk then Run]

Good bye Bruce the Moose (that's for all us "older folks" who went to Highfield Square at Christmas in the early 80's)

[L'homard]

Don't forget Hifi the Bear. Worse name for a mascot ever!

[Hogie75]

Originally Posted by Walk then Run

Good bye Bruce the Moose (that's for all us "older folks" who went to Highfield Square at Christmas in the early 80's)

Bruce the Moose was Champlain Place, Hifi The Bear Was Highfield Square? If my memory serves me correct.