Edmonton Chamber Pleased with Council’s Arena Decision

After months of intense  negotiations and lobbying by all parties, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to see Council’s overwhelming support for the downtown arena and entertainment district – today’s approval of the arena funding being the critical decision point for the project which will propel Edmonton’s downtown core forward into a bright future.

The Edmonton Chamber has continually been proactive in its advocacy for this project – a project that holds tremendous economic importance to our city, and that must be viewed as a transformational project for our downtown core, the likes of which we have never seen.

“This approval of the final funding formula for the arena signals to the investment community that Edmonton is open for business,” said Edmonton Chamber board chair Lindsay Dodd.

The approximately $550 million project is set to be a catalyst project for Edmonton’s downtown that will enable the attraction of new residential, commercial, retail, and entertainment development. With the creation of the entertainment district, Edmonton’s downtown core will be transformed into a vibrant, diverse, and exciting destination that Edmontonians can be proud of.

“The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce has been a vocal and consistent supporter of this project since its inception,” added James Cumming, the new President and CEO of the Chamber. “The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce exists to create the best environment for business and the downtown arena and entertainment district is perfectly aligned with that mission.”

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce will continue to support the development of a vibrant downtown on behalf of our almost 3,000 members, as we view this as a tool not only for increasing investment and economic activity in our Great Northern City, but also as a retention and attraction tool for the city’s and region’s employers.

It must be acknowledged that this opportunity wouldn’t have become a reality without the participation and cooperation of all three levels of government, Daryl Katz and the Katz Group, as well as the municipalities that make up the Capital Region. Edmonton’s business community is appreciative of the efforts of all parties in making this deal happen.

Source: Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 16th, 2013 at 6:28 pm and is filed under Edmonton, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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