Dean MacDonald is convinced Mile One Centre can be a centrepiece for a vibrant downtown St. John’s.
For a little investment of, say, $20 million or $25 million, he’s prepared to make that happen.
Recently, MacDonald’s “exciting new vision for the future of Mile One Centre,” one which includes “much-needed” upgrades to the downtown St. John’s arena, were unveiled on his Newfoundland Growlers’ hockey team website.
A new full-service restaurant and sports bar for the downtown rink. A theatre, recording studio and E Sports arena. A 9,000-square-foot food court on the main concourse.
MacDonald says he’s received tremendous feedback from the plans.
“People are excited about what we can do here,” he says.
Except, maybe, the crowd at St. John’s City Hall, who have embraced MacDonald’s idea with a collective shrug of the shoulders.
To a point where he’s now talking about building his own rink.
This week, Jamie Korab, the city councillor who is chairman of St. John’s Sports and Entertainment, which oversees Mile One, held a news conference at the arena to talk about MacDonald’s plans.
What was missing in the building’s lobby was a Constabulary cop, advising media types licking their chops for a juicy story, to, “move along … nothing to see here.”
This is what we gathered Wednesday.
The city and SJSE have hired KPMG, the same consultant that penned a 2019 report on the possibility of third-party management of Mile One. This latest report is expected to provide the city advice on the sale/privatization model.”
Wait. It gets better.
“An independent sub-committee of the (SJSE) board is made up of members of the board of directors, and they should have that report today or tomorrow,” Korab said. “They’ll have chance to review it and then next week, the committee will meet with KPMG to go over the findings.
“From there, it will be sent to the board of directors to go over. Once the board does that, there will be multiple meetings and a recommendation to council. Ultimately, it will be council that will decide (whether to sell Mile One).”
So apparently, council doesn’t even know what it wants when it comes to Mile One? Have we now reached the point where it has to be told to sell, or hang on to the aging building?
“At the end of the day, it’s a valuable asset,” Korab says. “It’s a big decision. We’re not selling a used car here. If we’re going to look at selling Mile One or going down that road, we should have all the information.”
OK, fair enough.
This info we do know, however. MacDonald wants control of Mile One. He’s even willing to partner with the city, with plans calling for a significant investment upwards of $25 million, for what he envisions a 365-day-a-year downtown arena.
He’s tapped into expertise to assist in the process, expertise in the form of Bob Hunter, the ex-Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment vice-president for venues and entertainment, and former general manager of Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena).
Under MacDonald, there would be no subsidy to a facility that’s been showing its years lately.
“A big part of our plan,” MacDonald said, “is that building is going to be 365-day-a-year building. That’s how you make it work. Not a 10-event-a-year building.
“A great centre for the arts here, with the sports stuff. We want to do things that are going to make this downtown vibrant again. With a massive investment.
“It seems to me it would be something that’s a real win. I would think they would be excited about it, ultimately. But we don’t know. Because no one is talking to us.”
Sounds great, yet why does one get the feeling of, ‘Meh … whatever’ coming out of City Hall.
Because the big bucks generated from general skating would dry up?
“We want to make this investment in the city,” MacDonald said. “We’re excited about it. If not this, maybe we’ll go build our own.
“We’ve certainly been spending a lot of time on that because it doesn’t feel like the city sees the benefit that we see.
“That’s okay. That’s their prerogative, I guess.”
Robin Short is The Telegram’s Sports Editor.
