The Executive Director of Downtown Saskatoon says thanks to the vision of Saskatoon’s leaders sixty years ago, rail lines were relocated out of downtown which led to significant private investment in the form of Midtown Plaza and it led to the creation of what was then Centennial Auditorium.  It also helped bridge the divide between downtown and Riversdale.

Brent Penner hopes residents will keep that in mind when thinking about a Downtown Entertainment & Events Centre. He says, “It’s our turn to make sure that Saskatoon is set up for success in the next 40 years.”  This past fall, a report from the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Saskatoon touted the economic benefits of a Downtown Entertainment & Events Centre. An independent study was prepared by Saskatchewan-based PRAXIS Consulting, which forecast $1.37 billion in total economic impact over ten years during what would be the development and construction phase of the district.

Penner adds that you don’t have to be the one to attend the concerts, the games or the conventions to benefit from this vision. As an example, he explains that about 60 per cent of those who buy tickets to a larger scale concert aren’t from Saskatoon, and one concert generates about $5 million in consumer and economic event spending in that one night. They shop. They do business in Saskatoon. They stay in a hotel, and all of that means positive impacts for businesses, which then are able to hire staff.

He adds that the challenge is that SaskTel Centre and TCU Place need major renovations and in many cases are too small, which means they are being passed over and therefore that economic boost isn’t coming to Saskatoon.