picard102
Senior Member
Which large event spaces currently sit idle in downtown Toronto?
Toronto Esports Performance Venue and Hotel | 112.23m | 30s | OverActive | Populous
- Thread starter lightarchitect
- Start date
cereal
New Member
Every single venue in Toronto has open calendar dates, nothing is 100% booked. Top venues might have weekends fully booked a year out but so many venues are idle during weekdays. There is absolutely no reason that esports needs a dedicated venue, it's 100% a gimmick, esport events can be hosted at any existing music/theatre venue.
Lyphe
Active Member
By that logic, any dedicated venue is nothing but a gimmick. Do NFL players 'really' need anything more than a large field with grass? Nope, everything beyond grass and a ball is 'desire' ... or part of their gimmick per you. The same would be true of a venue like this. Sure, they could use other spaces, but at some point if you want to be a competitive e-sports market, then you will build a venue since that is where the e-sports market is headed. I'd also argue that you could easily rent the venue to non e-sports events on the off days, much like other dedicated venues do. This hardly needs to be a venue hosting 24/7 x 365 e-sport events to be successful.
picard102
Senior Member
So e-sports can get the scraps for venues and host matches on weekdays when attendance will be lower because you think e-sports is a gimmick.
ProjectEnd
Superstar
Ok, so why aren't they building this 'very necessary' stadium?
As an aside, I'll say that I think governments of any level spending money to build out homes for any sports team is absurd, especially in the States where cities are regularly held hostage for what are tantamount to bribes in the form of free construction money and lengthy tax breaks.
As an aside, I'll say that I think governments of any level spending money to build out homes for any sports team is absurd, especially in the States where cities are regularly held hostage for what are tantamount to bribes in the form of free construction money and lengthy tax breaks.
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
I always find whataboutisms pretty gimmicky ways to debate something if you ask me. But not gimmicky in the same way as the weird arsed comparisons are being made here, lol...
mikejb
Active Member
I spoke to one of the two GC's who were bidding on this a few months ago. The whole group is going back to continue discussions on how to move this forward as the estimated construction costs were way higher than expected.
Brands
Active Member
The construction group or OverActive Media?
mikejb
Active Member
OMA and other groups who are part of the development.
Brands
Active Member
So is the project dead or alive? And, do they have a timeline, for when they are hoping to start the project?
mikejb
Active Member
Good question. I will see what I can find out.
jxmyth_
Active Member
Do other North American cities have sites comparable to the Exhibition grounds? And what have they done with them? Like, anything successful? Because I can imagine the Americans likely have convention centres surrounded by surface parking, and that’s it. With no residential, an event space dedicated to one thing but useable for a multitude of other stuff would likely be good. Will e-sports find that? Guess we’re finding out.
SubHuman
Active Member
Their intention was to build a 7,000-seat theatre/entertainment venue and second hotel, not something to be used exclusively for esports.
From the articles over the last couple of years, the problem seems to have been that they never had enough money to build it and were hoping Live Nation (or Oak View Group, or someone else) would buy into their plan for this venue, which I assume has not happened.
Live Nation has said it wants to rebuild the Budweiser Stage across the road at Ontario Place, to be indoor/outdoor, and higher to avoid potential flooding.
Expansion of Budweiser Stage in the Works as Ontario Place Taps Private Partners | UrbanToronto
Entertainment brand Live Nation has put forward plans to redevelop Budweiser Stage at Ontario Place with the goal of transforming the concert venue from a seasonal amenity to a year-round entertainment hub while increasing capatcity to 20,000 attendees.
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Brands
Active Member
If OMA is asking GC's to bid on the project, why wouldn't they have the money?
SubHuman
Active Member
https://venuesnow.com/toronto-esports-arena-project-on-hold/ (article dated Nov. 15, 2023)
The project has been "delayed over the past year, due in part to financing issues".
The "esports phenomenon has slowed down significantly". "No one is making any money".
"The business plan requires the hotel to be built before the esports arena breaks ground".
Bob Hunter "left the firm in July and is no longer under contract".
"Alyson Walker, OverActive Media Group’s chief commercial officer, said the project is still moving forward and that an update would be announced in the coming weeks."
The project has been "delayed over the past year, due in part to financing issues".
The "esports phenomenon has slowed down significantly". "No one is making any money".
"The business plan requires the hotel to be built before the esports arena breaks ground".
Bob Hunter "left the firm in July and is no longer under contract".
"Alyson Walker, OverActive Media Group’s chief commercial officer, said the project is still moving forward and that an update would be announced in the coming weeks."