Petes would welcome a brand-new hockey facility
The Peterborough Petes are pleased that consultants acknowledge the need to replace the aging Memorial Centre.
Sierra Planning and Management recommended to city council on Monday they consider replacing the 62-year-old PMC. The full consultant’s report is expected to be ready for council in May with further details.
“It’s not surprising to us that the consultants feel the PMC has had its’ day,” said Petes president Dave Pogue on Wednesday morning. “I think we all realize that. They feel the amount of investment is way too large to try to resurrect it into a useable facility for OHL hockey, lacrosse and concerts.”
Sierra director Jon Hack told council Peterborough could sustain larger concerts and events if it had a larger, modern facility.
Hack said once approval and financing is in place it would be a three-year process to design and build the facility. He has not yet provided council with suggestions on site, size, how tp pay for it or what might be incorporated into the new building. A public consultation will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Evinrude Centre.
Pogue has been a part of the consultation process and he expects the next report to suggest seven to 10 sites where a new facility could fit. Most, he said, will involve the city purchasing additional property.
“The preferred site is to be in the downtown core. That’s something the city is looking for, the DBIA is looking for and we would certainly support that,” said Pogue. “We feel it would be a better economic driver to be downtown.”
Pogue said the Petes would support a 5,500-seat-facility.
“Some of these new state-of-the-art facilities can close off and curtain off areas to accommodate things like convocations and smaller events,” he said.
The Petes averaged just under 3,200 fans this year with a 20 per cent increase in attendance. New staff helped drive season ticket and group sales up.
Pogue said they have a target of five per cent growth per year for three years which would put them near capacity. He believes additional seats will be necessary in the future but will also assist with concerts and special games that have sold out in recent years.
He said the last night Connor McDavid played at the PMC they could have “easily sold another 1,500 tickets. Some might say, well, that’s only one night but that incremental revenue is huge when you’re running with a budget like we are.”
Pogue would love to see a new building by 2023 when payment of the 2003 PMC renovations is complete. He knows it’s ambitious.
“We have two big issues ahead of us – location and money,” said Pogue.
He said he expects the consultant to give a wide range for cost depending on how much is incorporated into the design and how much land has to be purchased.
“I’ve heard anywhere from a low of $60 million to a high of $100 million,” said Pogue.
In Saturday’s Examiner: The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers discuss the idea of a new arena.