Step right up folks, and see if you can figure out what will happen during Thursday’s council meeting. Your card is the 3 of City Centre Redevelopment. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, follow your card. And we turn over… the Ace of Arenas. Sorry! Better luck next time!

The May 18th council meeting started with us hoping to find out the winning design firm for the City Centre Redevelopment. The 3:30 time for the press conference came and went, and finally Mayor Mandel appeared to tell us there wouldn’t be a decision soon. Council wanted to be sure they were picking the right partners to work with, which is a pretty reasonable thing to do.

Council then had discussions in private for most of the remainder of the day, listed on the agenda only as “City Manager Update”, and then at 9:10pm there was a press release about a “Major Arena Announcement” at 9:30pm. Really? Whether you love or hate the downtown arena, we should all agree this is a poor way to handle such a contentious issue. It was too late and with too little warning to give the press time to show up, and the announcement wasn’t at all covered online except through Twitter.

The worst part about this announcement is that we’re really no closer to having a workable financial model for this project to take place (at least as far as is known publicly). Council’s earlier approval on April 6 basically gave the City Manager leeway to pursue a deal with the Katz Group, subject to council approval. The vote on Thursday basically removed this requirement by leaving the terms of the deal up to Administration. Here’s the full text of the motion from the minutes:

Moved J. Batty – K. Leibovici:

1. That the financial framework to design and build a downtown arena, as outlined in the May 18, 2011, City Manager verbal presentation, be approved.

2. That Administration finalize a Master Agreement based on the financial framework and that the content and form be subject to City Manager approval.

3. That the Mayor on behalf of City Council approach other orders of government for support for the Arena Area Project, as outlined in the May 18, 2011, City Manager verbal presentation.

4. That the May 18, 2011, City Manager verbal presentation remain private, pursuant to sections 16, 21, 23, 24, 25 and 27 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

In favour: S. Mandel, A. Sohi, B. Anderson, B. Henderson, D. Loken, J. Batty, K. Krushell, K. Leibovici

Opposed: D. Iveson, E. Gibbons, K. Diotte, L. Sloan, T. Caterina

By my interpretation, any deal with the Katz Group no longer requires Council’s approval, and the only thing remaining is for a contract to be written up with the Katz Group. Hope there’s something in there to figure out where to get that missing $100 million. Or what to do about Rexall. Or what happens if the project goes over budget…

Things that are not the downtown arena

Going back to the City Centre Redevelopment for a second, on Friday the city announced that the shortlist has been shorterlisted down to three remaining design firms: Foster + Partners, KCAP, and Perkins + Will.

The city showed off some homes with secondary suites, ready to rent out, already built in. They’ve also extended their secondary suites grant program into 2011.

NAIT residents will get some relief from students taking up all their street parking.

Todd Babiak thinks we should be saving old timey advertising and using ads to cover up blank walls around town. I for one can’t wait for what happens when we regard too-bright video signs as “old timey”.

Councillor Don Iveson wrote a love letter to council chambers. It is a beautiful building!

New river valley maps will help you find your way around.