To: Steven Serviss (Kingston This Week)

First of all, let me commend you on providing an opportunity for public input on the LVEC issues. I am assuming that as a newspaper, you will print comments, including critical comments, on the answers Mr. Gedge provides, so that we get a real dialogue, not just a one-sided public relations exercise.

I have some comments on some of Mr. Gedge's answers in the Friday, Dec. 3 article:

1. Mr. Gedge says that "the major reason to build on this site (Anglin Bay) is to create a signature building on the waterfront...in Kingston, waterfront developments are all hotels and condos."

Isn't the City Hall, on the waterfront facing Confederation Basin, Kingston's "signature building"?

2. In answer to the question about other cities and successful Large Venue Entertainment Centres, Mr Gedge cites the London Labatt Centre as the best example. But the comparison with Kingston is shaky: London's Labatt Centre is centrally located and easily accessible from four sides, surrounded by plenty of nearby parking and located in a downtown which had declined to the point that there was little other activity to compete for parking. The Kingston Inner Harbour site is accessible only from one direction (or at the most two, if the Wellington St. extension is built--an added expense); it will require patrons to park as much as 9 blocks away, in a thriving downtown already busy and crowded on weekend evenings: there are very real concerns that parking congestion from the LVEC will drive regular patrons away from the restaurants and theatres on weekend nights.

3. Re: the question about "financial white elephants" Mr. Gedge said: "there are six large venues built since 1996...and "none of them have become financial white elephants".

Does this include Guelph's downtown Large Venue facility, where, after contributing one half of the $21million cost, the city wound up assuming an extra $3.76 million in mortgage payments which the private partner has been unable to make because the arena has had trouble attracting major events when the Guelph Storms aren't playing. (Guelph Mercury, April 1, 2004).

Or what about Peterborough's $11.9 million Memorial Centre
renovation, now $735,000 over budget, where the city has been told that the arena will not break even, and will be covering operating deficits of $650,000. for 2004 and expected deficits of $450,000 and $301,000 for the next two years. (Peterborough Examiner, May 27, 2004)

Or perhaps the most glaring example of a white elephant: the Toronto SkyDome. It cost $600 million to build, and has recently been sold for $25 million to Rogers Communications owned Blue Jays. Ontario taxpayers are still saddled with the original $300 million debt. (Globe and Mail, Dec. 1, 2004) O.K.--it predates 1996, but the moral of the story is clear, as the Globe comments: "it will always be a reminder of the folly of sinking hundreds of millions of public dollars into a venue that ended up enriching smart private businesses while taxpayers were left holding the bill"

Perhaps we need some clarification on what is meant by "white elephant"?

Elizabeth M. Harlow
Chair, Kingstonians Concerned About Lvec (KCAL)
www.kcal.ca

To: Steven Serviss (Kingston This Week)

I have several comments to your article printing Don Gedge's reply to public comments/questions:

i) I am appalled by the comment that "we need to put a signature building on the waterfront, not only hotels and condominiums": This may be partly true, in the sense that there are some hotels and condos on the waterfront, but this not different from other cities. Unfortunately, we have also Dupont, which does give Kingston too much credit. How about the City Hall? I thought it is THE signature building for Kingston, so are we planning to build something similar? And if so, WHY ON THE INNER HARBOUR LOCATION? Why on a location where we discontinue a marina, 2 striving businesses, where it is not enough place and have to fill in the Bay, where there is only one road of access which still has to be build and we are contemplating shuttle service in lieu of parking? Is this because we like the challenge of choosing the most inconvenient and unlikely site or because Kingston is all of a sudden short of shore line????

ii) Surprise, surprise: Mr. Gedge says that there are no "white elephants". Kindly refer him to an article in the Globe and Mail referring to the Toronto SkyDome: It cost $600 million to build, and has recently been sold for $25 million to Rogers Communications owned Blue Jays. Ontario taxpayers are still left to foot the bill for the original $300 million debt and "it will always be a reminder of the folly of sinking hundreds of millions of public dollars into a venue that ended up enriching smart private businesses while taxpayers were left holding the bill" (Globe and Mail, Dec. 1, 2004).

I suspect you will be printing our comments as well, otherwise the public is informed exclusively of one side of the coin, and, as far as I know, that would not be objective journalism.

Irena Manoliu
Resident