The decision of city council to proceed with the second of two staff-generated options for the Civic Core Plan is not sitting well with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
The major redevelopment design calls for Kopar Memorial Arena, the home of the Spruce Kings since 1972, to be demolished with a new 4,500-seat arena and park to be built where the old rink now stands.
The plan council approved also calls for a performing arts centre and mixed-use residential development and park to be built next the Civic Centre on land where the now-demolished Four Seasons Pool once stood and a hotel development on the former fire hall site.
The arena plan would force the B.C. Hockey League team to have to play its home games elsewhere, either at Kin 1 or CN Centre, and neither option would work for the Spruce Kings.
In fact, according to Kings general manager Mike Hawes, a forced move to an existing arena in the city might put the team permanently out of business.
“I really wish council would have consulted with us prior to deciding on a concept they felt was best,” said Hawes.
“From an organizational standpoint, we’re thrilled and excited they’re moving forward with a plan to revitalize the downtown core with the Civic Core Plan, which would include a new arena and we’re thrilled council voted to choose the most expedient process,” he said.
“Concept 1 would have been ideal for Spruce Kings and the performing arts because it would have left Kopar Memorial Arena standing while they constructed a new one (on the site of the former Four Seasons Pool) and the performing arts centre would have gone where the old fire hall was, and everybody would have been happy moving forward.
“Concept 2, they build new Kopar Memorial Arena in the footprint of old Kopar and that leaves us out of a place to play for I’m guessing a three- to four-year window.”
The plan council approved designates the former Four Seasons Pool site adjacent to the Civic Centre for the performing arts centre as well as a mixed-use residential development and park. The former fire hall site on Dominion Street would be used for a mixed-use hotel.
Hawes has been told demolition of the old rink would take nearly a year to complete and he estimates construction of its replacement would add another two years to the Spruce Kings’ wait time.
He says the team can’t play at CN Centre because the BCHL would not allow it.
“Sharing CN Centre with the Cougars is absolutely not an option,” said Hawes. “Although we have a good relationship with the Cougars, the WHL and BCHL are competing leagues. I cannot speak for the Cougars or WHL, however, I know the BCHL would not allow one of its member teams to play games in an arena with WHL logos and advertising throughout the arena.
“Obviously, changing out these ice logos and rink boards and advertising in the building every time a team plays a game is not a realistic or a viable option.”
The Spruce Kings are community-owned and the team operates as a non-profit society which allows them to run a show home lottery and 50-50 draw which annually generates a majority of the operating budget. As BCHL members, Hawes says the team is required by the league to generate advertising revenue and needs that to pay the bills.
“I’d guesstimate 40 per cent of our revenue that we need to operate is from in-house advertising, our concessions and game-night ticket sales, and everything else comes from the lotteries. Without that we don’t survive, we’re not here. We need in-building advertising ice logos, rink boards and it’s also vital that we have our concession and beer sales in the building. We wouldn’t have that at CN Centre.”
Moving to Kin 1, which has a maximum capacity of about 800, would be too small to conform to BCHL standards, which require a minimum of 1,500 seats. The rink is also Olympic-sized, 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, where BCHL rules stipulate rinks must meet NHL dimensions (200 X 85).
Kopar’s 190 X 85 rink was grandfathered in to be allowed as the Spruce Kings’ rink.
“The advertising and concession revenues are not available to us there because the city owns that and even if they gave it to us, with the small attendance, it wouldn’t generate enough for us to survive,” said Hawes.
The BCHL standards document also requires each team to offer a dedicated players dressing room, players’ lounge, medical room, storage and office space, as well as a press box and a broadcast area for both teams.
“We have all that now at Kopar Memorial Arena, we would not have any of it at Kin 1,”said Hawes.
“The decision made Monday night at city council to accept Concept 2 and to build a new arena on the footprint of Kopar Memorial Arena and put us out of place to play for whatever a period of time it is, is going to put our organization that’s been in Prince George since 1972 in serious peril here.”
On Tuesday, Hawes sent emails to each council member, Mayor Simon Yu and city staff expressing his concerns if the second plan goes through. Hawes explained his situation to Andy Beesley, the city’s facilities manager, and Beesley sympathized with the club’s reasoning but he did not have a vote at Monday’s meeting.
Hawes said he’d prefer a rink with a capacity of between 2,500 and 3,000, where Yu was proposing a 5,000-set rink to host large conventions.
“They’re thinking is for convention space reasons and based on the life of the CN Centre, which is halfway through its life, to build something with more seats makes more sense on their end,” said Hawes. “From a Spruce Kings standpoint we would prefer less seats. That being said, if they build a new arena downtown that isn’t in the footprint of current Kopar and it works but it’s 4,500 seats we won’t complain and will find a way to make it work.”
Hawes wonders why city council went ahead with its decision in Monday’s public meeting at city hall without consulting the team.
In the vote passed Monday, council agreed to involve local arts groups in future discussions of development of the performing arts centre and the future of the Prince George Playhouse and will consider several seating options for the new arena.
Once a final design has been approved, then it will be up to taxpayers to decide in a referendum whether the Civic Core Plan will go ahead as planned.
