Parkade the only option

Like a traffic jam after a Vees game, there’s no way around it: A parkade is the only way to properly address problems created by shortsighted city councillors in approving construction of the new casino on the South Okanagan Events Centre campus.

The other options presented at an open house this week amount to merely rearranging the furniture or simply nibbling away at the edges of the problem.

Shuttles, reconfigured on-site lots, new off-site lots and wayfinding signage are nice ideas, but families – especially those engaged in sports like hockey and lacrosse — are most likely driving. As are many Vees fans, especially in the winter. That’s not going to change anytime soon.

The need will only become more pressing if a proposed twin-rinks facility is added to the campus.

The real solution has to come in the form of a parkade and the casino operator has to help pay for it.

Based on its square footage, the casino is only required to provide 80 spots, of which 65 are on its lease area. The other 15 are rented from the city for the princely sum of about $50 per year. Nice deal if you can get it. Don’t forget, the casino building itself also eliminated another 100 spots.

It’s unclear how much leverage the city has now over Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, but if the company is half the good corporate citizen it claims to be, it will come to the table to help make the parkade a reality.

City staff estimate the parkade will cost between $35,000 and $40,000 per stall. Based on the higher amount, a 400-stall parkade would cost $16 million. Split that down the middle and it’s $8 million from taxpayers, $8 million from the casino. That’s only fair.

It’s a lot of dough just to park cars, but it’s a price that must be paid – by taxpayers and the casino.