Edmontonians conditionally support spending public money on arena
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Edmontonians support a downtown arena project, according to a survey conducted by the city in December, but there are strings attached.
The city surveyed 800 adults in Edmonton, and found that 59% of respondants support developing a downtown arena, and 67% of respondants say they would support the use of public money for the project, provided that property taxes are not increased as a result and infrastructure dollars aren’t reallocated.
Of those surveyed, 56% support a mix of private and public funding for the arena district.
The city is currently looking at a financial option that would see $250 million raised through a combination of a ticket tax and a Community Revitalization Levy (CRL). The survey found that 41% of respondants strongly or somewhat agree with the CRL option.
The survey also found that Edmontonians want to see certain assurances if the city is going to invest in the project. A location agreement for the Oilers and a plan for the future of Rexall Place are among the top priorities for citizens.
The telephone survey was conducted after the city received nearly 29,000 responses to an online questionnaire asking Edmontonians about their thoughts on the project.
The result of the public consultation is expected to go before council on January 17th, when the city will discuss how Edmonton can benefit from the proposed arena and surrounding entertainment district.
