Charlottetown task force examines need for new multi-use complex

People in Charlottetown are being asked if they think the city needs a new multi-use facility for sports and entertainment, and what the best options are for buildings, such as the Eastlink Centre and Cody Banks Arena.

The city has set up a task force to come up with some recommendations, and the first step is to hold ameeting of user groups,and do an online survey.

The volunteer chair of the task force is Mike Hennessey, who told CBC Mainstreet's Angela Walker that first they want to find out if there is some interest in building one big sports and entertainment complex.

"We're currently out looking at engaging the community to solicit some input on what their needs would be, and basically try to find out if there's an appetite to move towards that," said Hennessey.

While the multi-use facility could replace the Eastlink Centre, the Cody Banks Arena, and the Simmons Sports Centre, the task force is going to look at every idea.

"That is one option but there are several options," said Hennessey. "Maybe those facilities are repaired and don't become part of anything other than they are today."

The committee isn't even starting with a ballpark price of what a new centre could cost.

"We really don't have any idea, we're so early in the exercise," Hennessey said. "It's a viability study, and part of that will be determining how big, or what exists, or what's done with the existing facilities. So we have no idea as this point in time. By the time we are finished in January of 2018, we hope that we will have some idea of a ballpark, if it's determined to be viable."

At that point, the task force will make a recommendation to city hall, but first they want to hear from all building users, and potential users they can.

There's a public session Monday night at city hall where user groups will make presentations, and the survey can be found online at city.charlottetown.pe.ca/surveyusergroup.php.

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