I Heart Edmonton

'I Heart' delves into what this proposed arena district could mean for our city, and why so many are against it BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I DON'T have to tell you that one of the most talked-about topics in Edmonton over the last six months has been the proposal of a new downtown arena complex that promises to "revitalize" the area. It goes without saying. Every new development in the arena debate makes headline news, as reporters scramble to get the next big lead or, God forbid, a sound bite from the man responsible for the whole ordeal, Daryl Katz (pictured below left). The billionaire businessman behind the Rexall drug store chain remained tight-lipped about the details of the arena situation only until earlier this week, when his company The Katz Group took the next step* forward in greenlighting Edmonton's most profound project to date. Edmontonians have been particularly vocal about this proposal, as every Tom, Dick & Mary extend their two cents ...

e "It leads to a vibrant downtown, a place that is the heart and soul and the centre of what I like to think is the greatest northern city," Edmonton Oilers president Patrick LaForge told the Edmonton Journal in a recent interview, referring to the exciting news that our city will be home to a brand new twin-arena entertainment complex in the downtown. As the photo below shows, Edmonton has never had an internationally-recognizable skyline, but with the new arena proposal--in the Baccarat Casino area--the "City of Champions" will hopefully have the downtown its always wanted...a vibrant and bustling zone that sets is aside from the other major metros in Canada. The facility is expected to be finished by the time the Oilers' lease with Rexall Place is up in 2014, at an estimated cost of $450 million. PHOTO BY EMIL TIEDEMANN E