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View Full Version : Should Prospera been built bigger?



Jovorock
03-07-2005, 04:37 PM
Copied from the Mar04 2005 Kelowna Capital News

Prospera Place is already too close for comfort



By CHERRILLE
Matt
Mar 04 2005

That was a great hockey game last Saturday at Prospera Place where the Rockets whipped Kootenay to take over first spot in the WHL.
I'm sure the people sitting in their nice comfortable seats enjoyed it because they could see the action on the ice. Unfortunately, most of the 350 people who had standing-room tickets weren't so lucky. Unless you were in the first one or two rows of standing-room, you couldn't see a thing except the heads in front of you.
There were also plenty of other hockey fans who couldn't get a ticket to the biggest game of the year so far.
There's a little bit of help on the way as the "peanut gallery," the temporary stands in the south end of the building that they used for the Memorial Cup, will be back soon. That should add about 100 seats.
It's still not enough though. I'm afraid Kelowna's beautiful new arena is already too small.
When the place opened in 1999 everyone raved about it and for good reason. Comparing the new building to old Memorial was like comparing Angelina Jolie to Camilla Parker Bowles. It still looks very nice today inside and out although it's far from perfect.
Besides being too small just six years after it opened, there are several other areas where it could use some improvements.
A sore spot of mine from day one is that cheap score clock at centre ice. I heard a rumour it wasn't even new when they installed it. I don't know if that's true, but it wouldn't surprise me. All it offers is the score, penalty minutes and the ability to post text messages like out-of-town scores.
Big deal! This is 2005, not 1965.
Kelowna hockey fans deserve a state-of-the-art score board, one with all of the bells and whistles and especially one that provides replays.
Vancouver hockey fans get replays, so do fans in Kamloops and most of the other new arenas in the league, but we're stuck with one that looks like it came from an outdoor lacrosse box.
If you are a Rockets fan, you should send a note to the operators of the building demanding a new clock that's worthy of the best fans in the WHL.
I'm sure the Rockets brass would like to see that as well, but don't complain to them as it's the responsibility of the building operator, not the tenants. Rocket investors have already had to use their own money to pay for improvements to the dressing rooms and other areas.
It's time for the operators of the building to step up and invest some of that large chunk of cash they're making back into the facility.
How about a few more concession areas or at least have more staff in the existing ones? Line-ups are brutal during the intermissions. Who wants to spend the entire intermission standing in line waiting to buy a bag of popcorn? Many people get fed up and return to their seats. You would think they would want to sell more $7 coolers, not less.
I know fans don't really care about the media but the press box is also way too small. I don't even bother going up there any more because there are never any seats.
I realize most of my complaints are pretty small. Some fans might not care one bit but they should because they pay top dollar for most of the events in the facility.
I go back to my original point which is the arena is already too small.
I think the politicians and city planners should have thought more about the future before entering into the deal with R.G. Properties.
I talked with leisure services director David Graham and he made some good arguments why they elected to build a facility which only seats 6,200 or so for hockey and 8,000 for concerts, but if there are already huge line-ups in there now, think of how bad it'll be in 10 years or 20 years from now when the population of Kelowna is expected to double!
I'm aware that R.G. Properties has been in the arena business for a while and they know how big a facility should be, but I still have a nagging suspicion that it is the size it is so the private company can make as much money as possible before it turns over the building to the city in the year 2029.
Can't fault them for that, it is a business after all. I'd just like to see them spend some money on it to make it better for the fans who spend their hard-earned bucks there.
I think the facility should have had a minimum of 10,000 seats from day one. Who cares if it isn't packed to the rafters every night?
No doubt, the price tag would have been quite a bit higher than the $19.5 million, of which the city contributed the land and $6 million and yes, it would cost more to clean up and heat the building, but I think the money should have been spent so we can enjoy it more and actually get a ticket to a Rockets game.
Graham says more tickets may be available in future years if the Rockets fall on hard times. That's no comfort because the fans want to watch them now when they're good!
Matt Cherrille is the sports director at CKOV 63.
rangers0@shaw.ca

mccabe23
03-07-2005, 04:54 PM
This ones a no brainer! Prospera Place is already outdated due to size. I know numerous people that would love to go watch the Rockets but get turned away. Think of all the money the Rockets are turning away because they have nowhere to seat the fans. 500 fans is the max for standing room and if you aren't in the first row of standees, you can't see squat.

As for the scoreclock, it soesn't really bother me. I would however, like to see video screens on each end of the building for replays etc. There are some nice spots on the end for screens if they take down the Grand Hotel signs. But I guess ads pay the bills......

Chipper
03-07-2005, 05:51 PM
I'm a firm believer in building for the future, and you get people that believe the oposite. In Cranbrook thats exactly what we did we built a rink that we could grow into, alot of people in town were against that and only wanted to build a 2500 seat rink.( a lot of fights and debates on the whole thing) We ended up building a 4368 seat rink that we don't sell out often but imo 10-20 years down the road our average seating has a lot of room to grow and fill up with out the wory of not having enough room. It's alot cheaper to build for the future than rip down walls after and replan the whole thing. Or totaly build a nother new facility. P.S because we did build for the future there are also alot of hockey fans that criticize us about the empty seats but at least we have extra good seats for fans from out of town.

Sput
03-07-2005, 06:21 PM
I don't know if the same will happen in Kelowna as it did in PG or not, but here is something to concider as well. A sell out in PG is 5995. Thats standing room and seats. In the hay days here a Cougar game sold out in 20 minutes. The place was packed, and rocked hard every night. Things have changed here now. The team hasn't played well in a few (to many) years, and every night this year there has been more green seat backs than fans in the rink. I guess what I'm trying to say is the areana is probably the right size, for now, with the population you have. If, and I do mean if, the Rockets have some bad seasons, it will in all likelyhood end up like the Multiplex, where you have a hell of a time GIVING tickets away. A time like that will make you think they should move back to the old Memorial Col.

Enjoy the hottest ticket in town. It makes people committed to attending games, and they arrange/rearrange their lives around the team. Enjoy that. Bask in it. If it changes, it just gets uglier than ugly. Much like it has here in PG.

Teaps
03-07-2005, 07:27 PM
Here's an Idea...Why doesn't Rich and Wealthy Bruce Hamilton go to RG properties and say "Hey, I'm getting sell-out crowds here every night, at $15.00 a head. Why Don't i throw in $150,000 For a high tech Video score clock, and you guys find some way to raise the other $100,000" We all know Hamilton is rich, he's the owner of a great hockey club who is pulling in tons of money right now, why can't HE be the one going out and making a donation to the arena as the title tennant for something that will help his income....Why wait for the greedy RG Properties to make a move? Why do we, as fans, try and organize donations? We could go to shaw, we could go to Pepsi (current title sponsors of the current score clock), we could go to a bunch of big corporations and ask if they would like to make donations.

mccabe23
03-07-2005, 07:39 PM
This could be totally wrong, but I heard once that the roof at Prospera Place was too low to put in a scoreboard with tv screens. The scoreboards with tv screens are quite large and there was concerns about pucks shattering the screens.

kelownakarl
03-07-2005, 08:15 PM
yes the arena was built too small, but judging from the crowds of 1500 or so at the old barn who would have predicted continuous sellouts nowadays.

The layout of the arena is ridiculous, not made for hockey, why do the players and the fans have to enter and exit through the same tunnel? That is stupid..... They should have made a carbon copy of the Kamloops rink or a bigger version of the vernon rink. But whatever what do I know im just a paying customer!

mccabe23
03-07-2005, 08:35 PM
I agree with Kelownakarl. Weird layout and very awkward for some fans. If you sit in section 110 or 111, you only have one exit in 112 to leave after the game because they shut down the runway through the visiting teams dressing room. So you have 3 sections all filing out one exit way and it can get ugly. I also hate the TV's they have in the main foyer. When there is a NHL game on, it can take you a looooonnnngggg time to walk through there and is very congested. But that's life I guess...

kelownakarl
03-08-2005, 12:28 AM
Alot of the stuff jared says is lies. I have seen him crossed up more then a few times between reading his junk here and on the ruckus.... it is pretty amusing!

Teaps
03-08-2005, 01:15 AM
kavanie.......woah buddy cool the jets.....I respect Bruce and the things he has done for the team...I don't know where you get "He's a rich bastard" out of my context...yes I see it in the quote you've posted, but we all know it's possible to alter a person's text when u quote them...and we all know how much you try to make me look like a fool......As for a Kelowna Rockets Employee in yourself, bashing the fans.....tsk tsk......We pay your god damn salary, treat us with respect! INCLUDING ME!




And as far as lieing goes...I never lie...No need to lie.....Got nothing to proove and nothing to gain.....

Jovorock
03-08-2005, 07:24 AM
Why Don't i throw in $150,000 For a high tech Video score clock, and you guys find some way to raise the other $100,000" We all know Hamilton is rich, he's the owner of a great hockey club who is pulling in tons of money right now
I think I heard that the used video score clock in Kamloops cost $450 K, alot more than your estimate of $250 K.

The Hamilton family has done very well in the last four years, but they lost their shirt the first four years in the Memorial Arena.

kelownakarl
03-08-2005, 09:20 AM
kavanie.......woah buddy cool the jets.....I respect Bruce and the things he has done for the team...I don't know where you get "He's a rich bastard" out of my context...yes I see it in the quote you've posted, but we all know it's possible to alter a person's text when u quote them...and we all know how much you try to make me look like a fool......As for a Kelowna Rockets Employee in yourself, bashing the fans.....tsk tsk......We pay your god damn salary, treat us with respect! INCLUDING ME!




And as far as lieing goes...I never lie...No need to lie.....Got nothing to proove and nothing to gain.....

I saw "rich bastard" with my own eyes.... It is easy to go back and edit a post eh!

Squig
03-08-2005, 09:48 AM
when they bought it. I have never bought one so this is just a guess but you are probably looking in the range of 600k to 800k for a new one. Pocket change for Hamilton eh Jared!!

Jovorock
03-08-2005, 10:00 AM
Is it really worth it for the Hamilton family to spend hugh bucks for a fancy score clock? Will it make the Rockets play better or make the team more money?

Why should RG Properties spend $4-500K on a clock, will it make RG more money as a private company that only runs the building for about 24 more years?

Will the City of Kelowna fork out this bill? If not for this special arrangement (private and public ownership) Kelowna still wouldn't have a arena and we would be watching the Spartans in the barn.

In this cheap town around 1986 with the Kelowna Wings in town all the rich out of towners and seniors that moved in to Kelowna voted no to a tax increase for a new arena.

So that why Mayor Gray and council had to provide free land and let a private company run a facility for 30 years and then turn it over back to the City of Kelowna for $1.00.

Sure a 10,000 seat would of been best, but we are lucky to have this arena to begin with.

kevanie97
03-08-2005, 03:12 PM
kavanie.......woah buddy cool the jets.....I respect Bruce and the things he has done for the team...I don't know where you get "He's a rich bastard" out of my context...yes I see it in the quote you've posted, but we all know it's possible to alter a person's text when u quote them...and we all know how much you try to make me look like a fool......As for a Kelowna Rockets Employee in yourself, bashing the fans.....tsk tsk......We pay your god damn salary, treat us with respect! INCLUDING ME!




And as far as lieing goes...I never lie...No need to lie.....Got nothing to proove and nothing to gain.....

You don't lie hey Jared.......you just did above denying you called Bruce that, you are pathetic and are not a true Rockets fan, you are an idiot, you also lied that your house burned down in the fires 2 years ago, how easily one forgets when he weaves a web of lies las you do.

grumphy
03-08-2005, 03:42 PM
kevanie-------teaps, let's keep it to hockey, if you guys want to get into bashing each other do it by email. It's more private and you can express to each other how you really feel. Leave all the old baggage @ the old site.

Teaps
03-08-2005, 05:13 PM
Honestly Kevin, I though after that one chat session, we were making good...I guess not...Well, we just have to move on with our lives, and honestly...just stop the bashing. It's not that hard to bite your lip and not post something derrogatory..

kelownakarl
03-08-2005, 05:59 PM
Honestly Kevin, I though after that one chat session, we were making good...I guess not...Well, we just have to move on with our lives, and honestly...just stop the bashing. It's not that hard to bite your lip and not post something derrogatory..

Maybe Kevin is sick of reading your so called insight in hockey and you getting your nose into everything like you run the team? just a though. :D

kevanie97
03-08-2005, 07:28 PM
You blantantly lied in your post Jared,apologize or leave the board, its that simple and Kelowna Karl hit it on the head.

Teaps
03-08-2005, 08:13 PM
You know what...I AM sorry...I never meant for anything I said to offend anybody to the extent that it did...and for that, I am truely sorry. I know i typed it, but i didn't actually mean it the way it was interpretated...Do you ever have a friend who gets say, a VERY large tax return and you say to him "Ya rich bastard" Thats exactly the tone i meant it to be taken, but it is impossible to sort sarcasim between seriousness on the internet as you are merely reading words, not hearing voice or seeing any body language.

I am sorry...

To add to that, if you guys don't like reading my hockey "insight" then why must you comment on it? TO make me look like a fool in front of everyone else? I think I deserve at least an apology from ONE of you.

rinkrat
03-08-2005, 08:38 PM
Why can't they simply expand the rink?Can you say political interference? Too many naysayers in Kelowna,they need to **** or get off the pot.Its a growing city,be proactive and think of the future!

kelownakarl
03-09-2005, 01:59 AM
To add to that, if you guys don't like reading my hockey "insight" then why must you comment on it? TO make me look like a fool in front of everyone else? I think I deserve at least an apology from ONE of you.

No apology coming from me. I just call it as i see it. Brutality honest, but i wont have any hard feelings against ya kiddo.

Teaps
03-09-2005, 07:44 AM
Alright thank you...No hard feelings is all i ask...