zW2Ig~~60_7.JPG "brandeentertainment"){kind=avatar}
the public-private operation also has attracted acclaim among those who rank such facilities in North America.
Who would that be?
But the average net income has been $274,015 annually.
Peanuts
It's nothing but a glorified hockey rink with halls that have the personality of a hospital ward.
And it should have stayed the John Labatts Centre. Budweiser is typical, with it's lack of respect for the people.
I have a tendency to agree with most of what valve said.
I know two restaurant owners within two blocks of the arena (I still call it the JLC).
Both of these individuals say that the facility has meant the difference between barely staying in business to profitability. How many other downtown restaurants and bars are in the same position.
So that whole complex and costs help two, maybe three, ok lets say 5 restaurants. I’m not impressed. London has no real plan and the Labatt Centre was no different. It’s helped two blocks on King St and maybe a half a block on Dundas and maybe one restaurant on Carling but that’s it. Downtown is a disaster with most of it’s family retail gone. Closed stores and abandoned buildings and now a new murder at Richmond and Dundas.
Valve mentioned the elite. The Labatts Centre has become the elite. Tickets for events are atrocious. The Centre itself is not conducive to entertainment. It works best for hockey and monster trucks…..so obviously those interested in sports such as hockey think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
As for all the other questions you asked when it comes to income for different types of people, maybe you should find out those stats before asking about them as if it has created any major difference for the few.
For the average person London….the Labatts Centre is a failure…..just another give away to a developer. Also as London grows and lets say more people do go to the Centre…..where will all the parking be? There was no thought for the future in many aspects. The Centre was from the start……in the wrong location.
Walk around the area. Lots more restaurants than that.
Been there, seen them. One place I eat often is the Marienbad. So the arena was built to support restaurants and maybe 200 to 300 staff?
Seriously though…..ask people other than hockey fanatics….has the arena had a plus effect on their lives. You have about 350,000 people to ask. My guess it on the top end probably 5% will say it has. Has the arena done any good for anyone east of Richmond? No. Building it, they put the cart before the horse.
My negativity? LOL What my negativity would have done is spend the money intended for this edifice in a way that it benefited most of the population in some way, rather than just a few.
I’ve been to the arena for a concert. The acoustics are horrible. It’s a hockey garage trying to be Albert Hall.
Actually.....glass 95% empty
Maybe lurk can answer the question, with him being an area resident so to speak. Has the arena done any good for him, especially being as people bring their kids downtown for the hockey games and other events geared towards many younger viewers. Also, does he know of any stores or even restaurants from lets say east of Richmond who have truly gained from the arena?
From my perspective one of the problems is the arena events for the most part are held in the evenings and by that time the retail stores in the area are for the most part closed. Of course they could stay open with the 'hopes' it would bring more customers, but then they would have to hire more staff for an evening shift and at that point.......there goes any additional profits.
The only people that the arena may have benefited are the nine restaurants on the one side of the street on King from Ridout to Richmond (two blocks)....if people can afford eating at most of them.....or the three restaurants on Dundas between Talbot and Richmond. Also possibly some of the retailers in the sterilized, over priced, once great Market building may benifit to some degree.
When visitors to the 'Labatts Centre' come downtown for an event (if they can afford the tickets) they get there and park (add that price to the night of entertainment) and then after the event they leave.....especially at 'night'. There is virtually nothing else in downtown to spark any interest to keep visitors downtown before or after an event and that specifically applies to families.....and neither is there much to bring them back to downtown to see or experience anything twice.
At one time London had between Richmond to Wellington, 3 movie theatres and two on Clarence. These brought people and families downtown. They are all gone now. At one time there was Eatons and Simpsons with everything from clothing to luggage to appliances to childrens toys.....all gone now. There were also smaller clothing and shoe stores, some with very good merchandise.....all gone now.
London is owned by developers and the city council and the planning department are also owned by them. Yes cities grow (although I personally do not think that's the best idea), but during growth they forgot to think about the areas they were killing....and what they will do with them when the day comes something has to be done. It's only the 'heart' of the city.
You don't need direct sales to benefit from the spinoff effect of the JLC. The people who work at jobs that get sales from the spinoff effects have a tendency to work, live and shop downtown.
I realize the spin-off from those that work at different locations, but I am wondering if those different locations are truly getting the sales….or are some of them staying open because they have to in order to compete with the neighbour restaurants?
As for those who ‘live’ downtown, I do wonder who they are? There are some apartment buildings and the newest being at King and Ridout, and those people obviously eat downtown but that has nothing to do with the arena’s existence, or how much business it brings in.
We are staying open from 8am to 8pm during the week of the big figure skating competition at the JLC starting March 11th along with several other businesses in our block.
It would be interesting to know if there are any real ‘notable’ increases in sales for you……..just from a business/downtown/large event perspective.
As for the other businesses on the block ………..there is a camera store (they might see sales), a book store, an old high end fur store, an organic food store, a hair salon, a small gallery, a bridal store, a couple of small restaurants, a coffee shop, two bars, a photo/art framing store, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the library which takes up a large percentage of the block. Oh….and there is also the strip joint and the ‘boudoir’ clothing store (including other items!). It might be just me, but I don’t see much that people visiting for a skating event will find interesting enough to shop for…other than maybe 3 or 4 stores. Food!….London is awash with places to eat it seems.
Personally, I can see people asking at hotels and motels where there might be to go in London and they will be directed to Masonville and White Oaks….or historically they could visit Eldon House or Pioneer Village (for the kids), or the art Gallery at the Thames (if they have time during all the events).
Food and bars will make more money and so will all the sellers are the arena selling the clothing and stickers with London’s truly pathetic new event logo that was a real waste of, I think it was a 160 Grand to design.
Then when it’s all over…..everything goes back to what it was.
but they have to walk by the stores to get to their cars to get home. While they walk to their cars a lot of people window shop.
But not down Dundas and especially not at night. The main parking lots used are on King between Ridout and Richmond ….all a short distance to the arena. Few people walk or window shop on Dundas. JMPO
Almost all of the stores downtown are unique and independently owned and you don't see our stores in the malls.
There are very few interesting stores on Dundas and certainly nothing that really attracts people. 'Interesting' stores for downtown are on Richmond row. If one looks at what is individual stores on Dundas and asks themselves where are other similar stores ….they are in every climate controlled, free parking malls in London and often with better choices of stock. Downtown London reminds me of Yonge St in Toronto circa mid-70's. London’s two main stores on Dundas are Nash’s and Kingsmills who have an old reliable clientele.
is a good way to show people that the downtown is a good place to shop.
But it isn’t....JMPO. Not if one really stands back and looks at it. Add in the deaths downtown and the unfortunate people who gather there and the open drug deals at Dundas and Richmond and it’s just ….not good.
There is no doubt that the downtown has changed and there is no going back.
No going ….back….but there is going forward. Of course this takes a necessity of real interest from City Hall as well as working with the landlords of the buildings. Downtown needs …..free parking….events that are constantly going on not in one area but in all of downtown and it needs a ‘vision’ ….which London does not have…..except for London’s growing perimeters. London’s leaders are demented. You have a city with a downtown that still has a lot of vintage buildings that they keep allowing to be destroyed or altered…and you have a river and parks and a historical courthouse and an art gallery and they use none of those to their full potential, or with any continual and interesting concepts. Go to places in Europe…..if they had all that they would be playing it up for all it’s worth! London money is too spread out and London is too ‘conservative’. You want people to come to London....new money..... and not just for special events…..you want them to come there because of what London has to offer….. everyday.
