Inquiry in regard to the proposed $160 million demolition plan and the preservation of the Edmonton Coliseum.
Dear Sara O’Donnell,
I’m contacting you as Natasha Riebe is away until the 24th, and a response to the plan to grossly misspend $160 million in Edmontonians’ property tax dollars needs to be addressed ✋️.
There is a movement at SaveTheColiseum.ca that has been in the works for the better part of a year. This builds upon the 63 proposed options to include and reuse the Edmonton Coliseum as part of a new, vibrant, and safe community in Northeast Edmonton.
We now know that, in addition to the $35 million in tax dollars set aside to demolish the Coliseum—equivalent to 5% per year on your property taxes—another $37.5 million is being added in the form of provincial infrastructure dollars to take the building down. This is even more than the $65 million estimate Councillor Jennifer Rice offered at our sixth roundtable last year. Turns out, she was pretty darn close.
Our discussions with several architectural development and engineering firms, all of which had previously submitted proposals to the city, focused on reusing or repurposing the Coliseum. Some came very close. This adds further validity to the SaveTheColiseum.ca plan. Much of the concern has been around final cost to the city.
For example, the six-rink concept on two levels was originally reported to cost $112 million. In a roundtable with Councillor Tim Cartmell, he cited the cost was closer to $114 million. If that’s the case, how much of that would have gone toward rehabilitating the existing structure?
Another source suggested that the majority of demolition costs come from dealing with asbestos insulation between the concrete walls. Once disturbed, it poses a significant health risk when airborne. A more prudent and safer approach would be to leave the insulation intact, contain it, and add soundproofing or other construction materials as part of a refurbishing strategy. The cost to clean up and restore the structure has been estimated between $5–15 million. That leaves a lot more to work with—and raises the question: what should be done with the rest of the $72.5 million?
Our plan is simple: return the $35 million set aside for demolition back to property owners, reducing their taxes 😀. The rest goes toward restoration of the Edmonton Coliseum.
Our proposed development plan is the most affordable and cost-effective when it comes to the Coliseum—because we’re entertaining bids as a nonprofit. This qualifies us for civic, provincial, federal, and private funding, ensuring our tax dollars are used to build a vibrant community—not tear it down.
As one of my colleagues aptly put it:
“Do people want to lose a $100+ million usable building?”
We’re looking at a conservative $172.5 million loss to Edmonton taxpayers—not to mention the millions in lost future revenue from a revitalized, world-class venue.
Councillor Tim Cartmell, who is running for mayor, claimed that demolishing the Coliseum would come at zero cost to Edmontonians. In a recent roundtable, he refused to even listen to alternative options or consider the research and public discourse, calling it all “a lie.”
“That building is coming down. The concrete crushed. The site made into a parking lot.”
Sounds like a pretty damn expensive parking lot, doesn’t it?
Well Tim, there’s a saying:
“All lies will lead you to the truth.”
Let’s see where your lies take us. I’m recommending that Tim Cartmell’s style of leadership is not what we need—not in the mayor’s chair, and not on city council. What a disappointment. We can do much better.
Councillor Cartmell also recently voiced support for the CRL extension, aiming to extend the downtown business levy to 2027.
Councillor Andrew Knack rightfully called this into question, stating there has been no public consultation or analysis:
“We’re talking many millions of dollars here.”
Best regards,
Greg N. Reimer
CEO, President & Head of Business Development
The Goldfire Group