JOB DONE: A pleased Mayor Harvey Rosen gathers up his papers at the conclusion of last night’s council meeting.
Photo: Ian MacAlpine/The Whig-Standard
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JOB DONE: A pleased Mayor Harvey Rosen gathers up his papers at the conclusion of last night’s council meeting.
Photo: Ian MacAlpine/The Whig-Standard
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The Whig-Standard
Local News - Wednesday, May 31, 2006 @ 07:00
A gleaming glass and limestone entertainment centre will rise on what is now a
dusty, gravel parking lot in downtown Kingston but taxes won’t.
With this pledge in mind, several uncertain Kingston councillors lent their
support last night to the plan to build a 5,000-seat arena project worth about
$41.8 million.
After roughly three and a half hours of questions and debate, city politicians
voted 8-5 to build the Kingston sports and entertainment centre on a block of
city-owned land at the northwest corner of Ontario and Barrack streets.
The vote marked the final political approval for a project conceived two years
ago.
“Most taxpayers are sick and tired of us putting taxes up and right now we do
not have to put taxes up to build this,” said Councillor George Sutherland.
The Countryside councillor, who represents Kingstonians living north of Highway
401, said he still has concerns about parking and financial risks, but believes
they have been minimized.
Sutherland and at least two other councillors who were undecided until the last
minute, Beth Pater and Bittu George, said they were reassured when the
provincial government offered a $4- million grant this week.
“I would not be supporting this proposal if I thought it was going to be a
burden on the taxpayers,” George said.
The confidence of councillors uncertain about a business plan that relies
heavily on borrowing got a boost roughly half an hour into last night’s meeting,
when a single-page letter was passed around the council horseshoe.
Rosen explained that it was a letter received in his office at 6:23 p.m. by fax
from the federal minister of transport, infrastructure and communities, Lawrence
Cannon.
“I understand there will be a vote at Kingston City Council this evening and
wish to inform Council members that this important project will receive federal
consideration if it passes the vote this evening and obtains provincial
support,” Cannon wrote.
Councillor Beth Pater said she received many inquiries from constituents who
fear that taxes will rise to pay for the centre.
Building it is necessary, she said, to ensure the vibrancy of a key segment of
the city’s economy, in the face of suburban retail competition.
“We need to increase tourism to stimulate development downtown,” Pater said.
Councillor Steve Garrison, a critic of the project, said the federal letter
isn’t a guarantee.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to get money,” said Garrison, who voted against
proceeding.
He argued the city should not be proceeding with the costly project when it
struggles to keep up with daily priorities like grass cutting.
“It’s one thing to have vision, but it’s another thing to be a dreamer,” he
said.
Councillor Leonore Foster, who chaired a task force that first proposed a
downtown centre, noted that the downtown business community, through two groups,
is backing the borrowing of $6 million for the project.
“People say the business community should put their money where their mouth is,”
she said. “They’ve certainly done so in this case.”
Councillor Sara Meers raised concern about an agreement with the Kingston
Frontenacs hockey team, which will be the major tenant of the new centre.
Under the deal, Frontenacs hockey games have priority over other events that
might use the facility.
“Unless we want to rename this the Frontenac palace, we should stop and consider
what’s going on here,” Meers said.
Councillor Floyd Patterson said he was “a little uncertain” given citizen
concern about possible tax hikes, but he was reassured by the commitments by
senior governments.
“I think we’re at the doorway of a historic moment in our city,” Patterson said.
Mayor Harvey Rosen acknowledged that the debate about the issue has been
fractious and the process flawed, for which he took responsibility.
But it would be impossible to get unanimity, he argued.
He said a vote in favour of the project was a vote in response to what the
majority of citizens want.
“This project is symbolic of what Kingston can be,” he said.
Councillor George Beavis opposed the project, citing concern about finances.
“I think it will be a cost to the taxpayer,” he said.
Councillor Kevin George complained that he was a victim of inappropriate
pressure tactics yesterday.
George rose early in the council meeting to say he received an e-mail from
Councillor Ed Smith that was a “bit of a problem.”
Later in the day, George said he got a voicemail message from someone who he did
not name, but who was, he claimed, a supporter of the project and a financial
contributor to the mayor’s last election campaign.
George said he called the police, who have listened to the voicemail message.
Before he could finish describing the situation, Rosen ruled George out of order
and instructed him to sit down.
“Items that deal with communications outside of council should be dealt with
outside of council,” Rosen said.
George tried to continue.
“I thought the days of mobster work was long gone,” George said, before Rosen
ordered him to sit down.
Councillor Bittu George acknowledge that citizens, who go to the polls in a
municipal election in November, have final say on whether building the centre
was the right decision.
“I’m prepared to let the people decide in the fall if this is a good decision or
a bad decision,” George said.
Councillors agreed last night with the staff recommendation to choose a design
and construction plan for the facility by EllisDon and Brisbin Brook Beynon
architects.
Construction could begin within months, with the facility scheduled to open in
December 2007.