Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinordi
Often these urban "revitalization" projects centered around an arena are the result of determined policy and ambtions of government. What's my point? Well that you don't need an arena to arrive to those same outcomes so long as government is willing to lead.
Dockside green in Victoria saw a revitalization of its old industrial district in Vic West because the city and various champions wanted to build a sustainable community. It's been, for the most part, a big success.
Calgary's east side revitalization is happening without an arena.
The key input is most often not some arena to plonk down, I mean look at GM place in Vancouver there's basically nothing in direct vicinity of there even with significant amounts of underutilized round in the vicinity. Meanwhile, Vancouver has prioritized revitalization of a number of areas around coal harbour and false creek to varying degrees of success. The biggest example, is the city and provincial/federal governments building the Canada Line. At the sound end of the line a huge privately funded neighborhoud concept (Marine Gateway) is being built by sole virtue of a mass transit stop now located there. The Canada Line came at significant cost but is already well exceeding its ridership targets years early. Many many Vancouverites and Richmonders are benefitting directly from this type of public investment. Many more than retrofitting BC Place I (and most others) would argue.
What matters is ambition and policy from the political sphere, not where you have an excuse to plonk an arena down somewhere.
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Kind if interesting that it likely never would have happened without a sporting event taking place in a bunch of stadiums nearby.