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Northlands Coliseum Shuts Down
The
– Northlands Coliseum
Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the Coliseum that was once home to the NHL’s Oilers will permanently close. Other than a few concerts, the venue has seen little activity since the team moved to the new downtown
“The decision to permanently close the Coliseum reflects an ongoing commitment to use taxpayer’s money responsibly in all questions about the status and upkeep of the facility,” the city said in a statement.
The city is expected to release a redevelopment plan draft for the site in early 2018, according to the Edmonton Sun.
Mayor Don Iveson told the paper that the building will likely be demolished, although some of the structure may be repurposed for a new amateur sports venue.
The deal gets the city out of a prior agreement with the Oilers Entertainment Group, in which the city committed to paying $2 million a year for 10 years to the company in a sponsorship deal. The Oiler Entertainment Group agreed to cancel the payment if the city closed the arena, leaving Edmonton with the remaining $17 million for a potential new sports facility.
The plan also gives the city ownership over the Expo Centre at Northlands starting Jan. 1. Northlands will still have access to the Centre to hold some of its agricultural events.
“We credit mayor, council and administration for addressing outstanding issues. Northlands is committed to the highest degree of professionalism through this transition and ask all involved to respect the impact of our 2,800 employees and our 1,500 volunteers,” Northlands President Tim Reid said in a statement. “We look forward to returning to the site to host Northlands signature festivals K-Days and Farmfair International.”
The arena still has dates booked for Miranda Lambert Oct. 3, Foreigner Oct. 12 and Dallas Smith Nov. 10.