So wait. Something's not right here. I'm going to play the jealous University student/8 year old boy card and say "Why does Ryerson get a 60 Million dollar renovated Maple Leaf Garden's as their athletic facility and we don't?!"
It's true though. Ryerson university will be contributing $20 million to the $60 million dollar facility at Carlton and Church Street. The facility will receive a renovated ice rink and athletic complex, in addition to a Loblaw's grocery store.
"In the life of a university, there are many announcements. But this one is special. It is one of those 'moments' that will be defined as, 'Do you remember when?'" said Ryerson president Sheldon Levy. "We're bringing Maple Leaf Gardens back to life."
This comes after a $126 increase per student was put in place this past year, to fund the project.
The development, Levy said, is becoming a reality because of the students, who voted "overwhelmingly" in a referendum last year to increase their student fees for a new athletic centre.
Loblaws, which bought the Gardens in 2004, will pay about $20 million to build a 70,000-square-foot store at street level and new underground parking. It also donated $5 million to Ryerson, which is trying to raise the additional $20 million to fund the Gardens' revitalization.
In addition to the school's contribution, the government will be investing roughly 40 million dollars. The project is apart of the national stimulus plan set in place this past year. The project is currently expected to create between 500 and 600 jobs.
Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was in attendance at yesterday's announcement at the Gardens.
"This building was one of the original infrastructure stimulus projects in 1931," Flaherty said. "It employed a lot of people and got built very quickly during the Depression."
With the restorations moving forward, Levy and Loblaw's CEO Galen Weston has promised that the heritage and aesthetic of the Gardens will not be destroyed. The new Gardens is also set to include a Gardens and Leafs memorabilia museum.
"The idea here is preserve and build upon the integrity of this facility and to embrace the history, not to wipe it out," Weston said.
Where do Ryerson student's stand on the issue I wonder? Will the new athletic facility live up to everything students are hoping for? I know there has been mixed reviews here at Western after we finally open the doors to our new athletic facility.
Of course, the bigger nightmare has now been "What to do with the old athletic facility?" With the referendum being rejected last year, the USC seems to be scrounging for ways to renovate the old area.
None the less, this project seems to create new passion for the city, along with a number of projects to stimulate the economy. I, for one, am quite jealous of Ryerson students for having the opportunity to use a legendary facility. At the same time however, I can already see the hordes of people making their way into the facility, along with the corporate extortion and profiteering that is bound to take place.
I too am a little jealous. Playing pick-up hockey where the Leafs once achieved greatness would be a dream. That's probably why so many people at Ryerson are on board with it.
ReplyDeleteThe huge price tag is a big concerning though. Think of UWO's state of the art gym, and look at it's cost. I don't want to do the math, but imagine how much better the newly renovated Gardens has to be to live up to its cost. Is it even possible?