City of Saskatoon unveils more design concepts for proposed downtown arena

The City of Saskatoon has shared more design concepts as it pushes ahead with its plans for a new arena and surrounding entertainment district.

The city said the proposed project in the city’s downtown core would create “a centre of commerce, tourism, services and entertainment,” including shopping, restaurants, conventions, nightlife and more.

The city said the arena and surrounding district would connect to the rest of Saskatoon through a planned bus network.

Residents got a close look at the vision for the project on Thursday when new design concepts were shared during an event at TCU Place.

“This is an opportunity for people in Saskatoon to really see how the vision for the District could become reality,” Dan Willems, director of the city’s technical services, transportation and construction division, said in a statement.

“Up until now we have been talking about the District in very abstract terms, but these images help put context and meaning to the idea of an active space that is open to all.”

In the design concepts, the arena is labeled “Saskatchewan Place,” and the summertime image also includes a large Ferris wheel.

Willems emphasized that the design images shared on Thursday are “by no means the final designs of the arena,” but said they offer a chance to visualize the conceptual design for the facility and surrounding area.

“These renderings really help illustrate that the District is much more than just an event centre and convention centre – it is to be a community gathering place in any season,” Willems added.

Here’s the new rendering of the proposed arena. @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/tV9Myu1JQE

— Lara Fominoff (@LaraFominoff) February 8, 2024

“They show the potential of the public spaces, with places for events, amenities and open areas where visitors and people from all parts of the city can meet and share unique experiences.”

The city’s governance and priorities committee will discuss more about the design of the project at its meeting on Wednesday, the city noted.

“We need to be thinking big about the future,” Mayor Charlie Clark said at the event.

“We need to create a thriving urban centre that our children see a future in, and so we need to be ambitious – ambitious about being a great city.”

The land where the arena would sit has already been purchased by the city. The initial land purchase for Midtown Plaza’s north parking lot added up to $25 million, with an additional $17.3 million spent to purchase more surrounding land.

Last month, the city began its search for a potential private partner on the project in order to help manage the proposed arena and explore ways to secure more funding for the project.

The city said it will work with “people, businesses and other orders of government” to develop a funding plan for that project that has only a minimal impact on future property tax increases.

In 2024, property taxes in Saskatoon were hiked by 6.04 per cent. A 5.64 per cent increase is expected in 2025.