“A new Event Centre would revitalize the City’s downtown and transform the Waterfront, drive economic growth and investment, and cement Peterborough’s reputation as a regional hub and tourism destination for decades to come,” said Leal.
The Event Centre would take over the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC), which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. While Leal acknowledges that the PMC has served the City well during that span, it would be costly to maintain and cannot perform the same functions as a new Event Centre.
“It (PMC) is already unable to host modern events and that capability will continue to deteriorate as it ages,” he explained. City staff have found that it will take at least $22 million over the next 15 years just to keep its doors open.”
Leal says Peterborough needs to think about the next 70 years and dubbed the Event Centre project ‘Vision 2096.’
“This is a generational opportunity for our community. A new Event Centre will revitalize our downtown by driving foot traffic and encouraging investment,” he said. “It will transform our waterfront and stimulate economic growth and development, and it will make Peterborough a regional hub and tourism destination for the next 70 years.”
Leal assured that the building’s cost would not be a burden on the taxpayer but rather would be a plus.
“Other communities that have embarked upon this path have seen an assessment uplift,” The City of St. Catherine's with the Meridian Centre is a case in point.”
City Council has previously approved the building's preferred location at the existing City bus garage site on Townsend Street. If construction were to be done, Leal estimates 30 months for the project to be completed.
“When we built the PRHC, we started construction on that in July of 2005 and the official opening occurred in the spring of 2008,” said Leal.
