That's right, apparently there are conceptual drawings already existing on a downtown site. Looks like it would be built on 103A Avenue and 97 Street and with a new LRT station running through there, it makes for a great location.
This would be great for the Oilers as Rexal is getting old and starting to "break down". I hope its true, just not the pyramid roof.
Full article here
The link goes to an article titled - "Unforgettable moms" :laugh .... the Sun must have taken the story down already. Let me know if you find another link, Id love to read the article. I was all over the Sun's page & couldnt find any mention of it.
It's still there...it's just kind of "buried" in alot of rambling. Here is the relevant part:Originally Posted by AdirondackOiler
REALISTIC DREAMING
By golly, look at the drawing (below) that arrived in a brown paper envelope!
There's been much talk about a new or renovated Oiler arena. But I was unaware of conceptual drawings already existing on a downtown site.
"Deep Site" tells me an arena the size of Rexall Place would nicely fit into the now-vacant, wrecking-ball- ready downtown post office site on the northwest corner of 103A Avenue and 97 Street - due east of the CN Tower, kitty corner from city hall.
The entire area that's bounded by 103A Avenue, 101 Street, 105 Street and 97 Avenue is ripe for re-development.
The only building of note on the nine-acre site is the CN Tower.
And the land comes pre-assembled. The feds own the post office land, Qualico Developments the entire east-west back half.
In this schematic (i.e. design vision), a 3,000-car parking garage would be built, underground, behind the arena. Qualico would then develop a complex of office and residential towers, shops etc., on top of the garage and down the strip now known as the CN Lands.
This concept envisions a clear-glass pyramid roof on the arena - echoing the city hall glass pyramid roof, the pyramids of Muttart Conservatory, and the kinda pyramid-ical roof on the Coronation swimming pool.
And there is a little secret weapon in the back pocket of this idea's backers.
I'll bet you did not know that an undeveloped LRT station sits on the existing underground line, just north of 103A Avenue.
"It was planned," says Deep Site, "as a non-public transfer point to carry prisoners from the remand centre and the courts to the federal and provincial prisons on Manning Freeway and in Fort Saskatchewan, when the LRT was to go that far."
The plan and design is there, I'm told, for a big LRT station opening to the sides, not the middle ... ergo much station space ... ergo just right for the hordes leaving after another Oiler victory.
As for the pyramid roof: "Wouldn't it be a wonderful opportunity," writes Deep Site, "to capitalize on the look of city hall, the Muttart Conservatory and other Edmonton structures by creating an Edmonton/ northern city image, as recognizable a symbol as Sydney's opera house is for that city?"
Thanks Oscar, thats what I get for not reading through it.
If we get a new rink and the roof is like a pyramid, i will puke.
I heard a rumor tonight and wanted to hear if anyone else heard it. This came from another fan, not from the media.
Apparently the ownership will change hands from the current group, the EIG to the owner of Rexall. He is supposedly buying the team for approximately $200 million and the the arena should be built in and around the $500 million mark.
Just want to know if anyone else has heard this. Secondly, I can't see a 500 million dollar arena, 300-350 I can see, but who knows since Katz has the money to build such an arena. Plus with Katz as an owner, I can't see the Oilers going anywhere for a long time.
Thatd be awesome if it is true, he could probably get us a farm team as well!
ya to play in the old arena
Found this at some website, it is a picture of the proposed arena location. Thought I would share it so those that don't know edmonton can get a better idea.
Scroll down to see it
Also found this statementThat is very reasonable, and tax payers shouldn't complain much with that idea either as they won't be paying for most of the building.we are promoting eco transit!! A ticket surcharge for events ($3.00) over every event for the next 20 years should go a long way to helping pay down the mortage on a new facility -
Can this guy even afford to be doing this?
Well if the ownership changes over to Katz, then yes. The guy is worth over a billion dollars (owns Rexal). However, even if the current ownership was able to pony up some cash for a new building, the city can help out quite abit if the 3 dollar surcharge is added to events (over 20 years), would help out a great deal as well.
I posted the possible ownership change under the thread Rumor, but hit this link.
I guess no one else has heard the rumor, so there is probably nothing behind it.
That area?
Kind of impossible.
West of 105 St. is GMCC,east of 105 St. is a new comdo.Further east,a casino.Across 101 St. is CN Tower,east of CN Tower is Edmonton Post Office HD.Across 97 St. is a solicitor general office.Futher east is Edmonton police HD.
It is not going to happen for another 20 years at least.
As the article states, the only real building in the proposed location is the CN tower. There is something like 8.5 acres of land that needs to be developed in that area, and if you re-read the article, it shows how everything would work.
The other idea would be to build a new arena across the street from where Rexal stands now, and once the new building is up, demolish Rexal for more parking and really take fans to the cleaners with parking charges.
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