Construction has started on the new Rogers Place arena in Edmonton.
The arena will be a landmark in the city’s downtown core. In February, the City of Edmonton and the Katz Group, owner of the Edmonton Oilers, announced that the $480 million guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the arena had been met.
“The look of Rogers Place is bold and forward-looking, just like Edmonton. As part of our downtown vision, it will serve as a symbol of our city’s great future,” Mayor Don Iveson said in February after the arena received a go-ahead for construction.
Through the GMP process, other features including the community rink, winter garden, LRT connection and pedestrian pedway were all confirmed. The full arena project is expected to cost $606.5 million, which includes a $2 million contribution from MacEwan University towards the cost of the community rink.
The Rogers Place arena will be home to the Edmonton Oilers, as well as the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings. It will have 18,641 seats for hockey games, and also host concerts and other events.
Icon Venue Group will serve as the project manager for the arena, while PCL will serve as construction manager. 360 Architects designed the arena.
The project is expected to be finished in time for the NHL season in September 2016. When it opens, Rogers Place will be the most technologically enabled sport facility in North America.
Get ready with your wallets Edmonton taxpayers. Unless there is a solid "fixed" price signed, in Contract, what generally happens is that design changes/change orders tend to accumulate to the Arena Titleholder, aka -taxpayers! I doubt that Mr. Katz will be peeling of $1,000 bills for the Extra costs. Just saying, from someone who has been around the design/build for arenas over the last 15 years.