My name is Angus McIntosh and I have been living in Moose Jaw since my parents moved here when I was two years old in 1967. I choose to make this City the place that I work, live, and raise my family.
I want to make it clear that I believe the BEST PLACE for the Multiplex is in Downtown Moose Jaw. I used to think the best location for the Multiplex would be in the area where Wal Mart and Sobeys are. I thought cheap land, plenty of space for expansion and easy access would equal an early start on construction and more amenities based on cost savings. I was thinking things through for the short term. After some careful thought and listening to the various opinions that are published and talked about on coffee row, and a trip to look at the three proposed locations, I now realize this is not a short term project. I changed my mind and am now am firmly in favor of a downtown site.
My reason's are as follows:
Reason #1 The Moose Jaw Multiplex is a project that when completed will be an indoor location where several thousand citizens can gather together in the same location to participate in or watch sporting events, concerts, or gather for trade shows, weddings, and conferences. Aside from Crescent Park and a few of the large churches, I can't think of anywhere else in Moose Jaw where thousands of citizens can all meet at a common location. For this reason alone, the Multiplex should be located centrally, downtown, where it is as easy to get to from Sunningdale as it is from South Hill.
Reason #2 Downtown Moose Jaw, away from Main St. and the Spa is an eye-sore. The buildings in the area of the proposed Multiplex are old, inefficient and decrepit with no heritage value. This could be the only chance to clean up a tired old area that is in need of a good cleansing. The only people who will develop the area is the City. Private Investors have chosen the land away from Downtown.
The Last Major Construction Projects privately funded in Moose Jaw have been:
- Sobeys
- Wal Mart
- Staples
- Superstore
- Various Condominium, Private Home Development, and Senior Retirement Complexes
- Moose Jaw Funeral Home
The last major construction projects in Moose Jaw that are backed by Government:
- Casino Moose Jaw
- Moose Jaw Cultural Centre
- Temple Gardens Mineral Spa
- Saskatchewan Water Corporation Building
All of these are downtown. I think message here is that if the city is waiting for private developers to clean up the downtown area, it is NOT going to happen. The only people in the last forty years who have taken an interest in construction in downtown Moose Jaw has been a Government. If our own City won't take an interest in the area, nobody else will.
If the Multiplex is built somewhere else, then the area of Moose Jaw from 1st Ave West to 5th Ave West, between High St. and Manitoba St. will remain an eyesore with crumbling, inefficient old buildings and vacant lots that are home to stray cats and worn out pick-up trucks. I think the city should show some civic pride, and get the area cleaned up.
The downtown location will not be cheapest in the short term, but I believe money spent today is money saved in the future. A major cost to be factored into the Multiplex debate is the delay in starting the construction, as costs are increasing every day. Had the multiplex been started 5 years ago, it would have cost millions of dollars less than today. In a year or more from now, it will cost millions more. How about that, an extra few million just for not doing anything! The financially responsible action is to begin construction as soon as possible.
I know that is difficult for us comprehend the amount of money that the City deals with annually as most of us don’t deal in millions of dollars. So I did some simple math to put it into perspective. IF there are 35 000 people in Moose Jaw, and building downtown will add $2 000 000 to the total cost, my share of the cost would be about $58, if I had to pay it all at once. Now considering most multi-million dollar projects are financed over 15 years or so, I would pay about 4 bucks a year for every member of my family to have the Multiplex downtown. $4 bucks each to clean up and revitalize an area that is desperate need of clean up. And this is if the city is paying for the whole thing, which it isn't. This could be the one time opportunity to kick start development that could repay in tax revenue over time. A cleaned up downtown may attract some investors to look at the area and develop privately, which could pay off in the LONG term.
I want to make it known that these are my opinions, and that I am not influenced by any person or group in forming these opinions. I make up my own mind. I encourage the rest of the citizens of Moose Jaw to not be negative because of the short term costs but to think of the realistically positive benefits of building downtown.
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