Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre
Encyclopedia
The Sleeman Centre is a 5,100 seat multi-purpose facility in Guelph
, Ontario
, Canada
. The Sleeman Centre has hosted concerts, sporting and family events as well as trade shows and conferences. The arena hosted the 2002 Memorial Cup
.
. The owners of the Guelph Platers
, the OHL team at Guelph Memorial Gardens
at the time, decided to move to Owen Sound in 1989, one of the reasons stated was the lack of a new arena.
Serious talks of a new arena for the Guelph Storm
, who moved from Hamilton in 1991 and played out of the cramped Guelph Memorial Gardens
, did not get started until the mid to late 1990s after the Guelph Storm's failed attempt to host the Memorial Cup
.
Finding a suitable location, as well as the cost, was debated for many years. Many sites had been looked at including the Memorial Gardens site, the Fountain Street parking lot, and in the west end of the city where there was plans to build a new recreation and community complex.
When the Eaton's
store at the Guelph Eaton Centre closed down, the city investigated the potential of locating the arena where the now empty store stood. To acquire the property, the city had to purchase the entire mall from ING Barings for $1.7 million.
The 5,000-seat arena was then built on the site of the former Eaton's store after the purchase of the mall in 1998 and demolition of the back section where the Eaton's store once stood.
By 2009, Guelph's junior B team, the Guelph Hurricanes (formerly known as the Guelph Dominators) officially moved to the Sleeman Centre for their regular season home games.
In 2009, the City of Guelph announced plans to upgrade the Sleeman Centre starting Spring 2010. This upgrade consists of adding a video score clock to the arena that has 4 video replay screens as well as two LED rings at the top and bottom of the scoreboard.
and Canadian junior team, Guelph Hurricanes.
The city contributed half of the cost of the project and also guaranteed a $9-million loan for capital costs, which was to be paid back by Nustadia.
However, in 2001, the city of Guelph had to take over the $10 million "senior" loan for the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre, plus the $9.5 million "subordinated" loan the city was already paying due to Nustadia failing to make a June 1 quarterly payment of $181,250. Guelph taxpayers had to pay $3 million over the a four year span to make Nustadia's payments on its bank loan for the downtown arena.
Nustadia said difficulties to making payments were attributed to a number of factors, including the failure to generate anticipated restaurant and food court revenue and lower-than-projected ticket sales from Guelph Storm hockey games. Nustadia expected 3,500 people per game but the average was closer to 2,800 in 2000/2001.
The four-year reprieve granted by Guelph City Council was recommended so that Nustadia's fortunes can be tested under ideal conditions. Nustadia was to repay the money but a clause in the agreement between the city and the developer gave either side the ability to walk away with no financial obligations to the other. That deal expired on June 30, 2005 which opened the door for Nustadia to walk away.
In 2005, after the four year reprieve, the city took over ownership of the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre because Nustadia Developments Inc. decided to walk away from the downtown facility, completing a controversial transaction that has been expected for a few months.
The deal at the time transferred the ownership from Guelph Centre Partners, a division of Nustadia that was managing the arena, to the city, and left Guelph taxpayers on the hook for nearly $4 million in unanticipated debt plus the $9-million loan previously guaranteed by the city. http://kcal.ca/BidulkaGuelph.html
The Sleeman Centre acted as host for the 2008 Founders Cup
Tournament.
and the City of Guelph finalized a $1.2 million sponsorship deal that gives the beer company exclusive naming rights to the Guelph Sports & Entertainment Centre until 2020.
which is blue to go with the arena theme colour. The concourse is wide and horseshoe shaped, as fans have to either exit to Old Quebec Street food court or go through the restaurant. Fans can walk all the way around the arena in a circle.
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Sleeman Centre has hosted concerts, sporting and family events as well as trade shows and conferences. The arena hosted the 2002 Memorial Cup
2002 Memorial Cup
The 2002 Memorial Cup occurred May 18-26 at the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre in Guelph, Ontario. It featured the host team, the Guelph Storm as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Erie Otters,...
.
History
The Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre was built in 2000 at a cost of $21 million dollars. A new arena for Guelph had been in discussion for well over a decade by Guelph City CouncilGuelph City Council
Guelph City Council is the governing body for the city of Guelph, Ontario.The council consists of the Mayor of Guelph and 12 ward councillors. Each ward elects 2 members to represent them. The council operates in the Guelph City Hall....
. The owners of the Guelph Platers
Guelph Platers
The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team in theOntario Hockey Association from 1975 to 1982, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1982 to 1989, based in Guelph, Ontario.-History:...
, the OHL team at Guelph Memorial Gardens
Guelph Memorial Gardens
The Guelph Memorial Gardens was an arena located in Guelph, Ontario. It was originally built in 1948 out of the remnants of a nineteenth-century building that had housed the Royal Winter Fair. The Gardens hosted various hockey teams over the years, including the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters, Guelph...
at the time, decided to move to Owen Sound in 1989, one of the reasons stated was the lack of a new arena.
Serious talks of a new arena for the Guelph Storm
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
, who moved from Hamilton in 1991 and played out of the cramped Guelph Memorial Gardens
Guelph Memorial Gardens
The Guelph Memorial Gardens was an arena located in Guelph, Ontario. It was originally built in 1948 out of the remnants of a nineteenth-century building that had housed the Royal Winter Fair. The Gardens hosted various hockey teams over the years, including the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters, Guelph...
, did not get started until the mid to late 1990s after the Guelph Storm's failed attempt to host the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
.
Finding a suitable location, as well as the cost, was debated for many years. Many sites had been looked at including the Memorial Gardens site, the Fountain Street parking lot, and in the west end of the city where there was plans to build a new recreation and community complex.
When the Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
store at the Guelph Eaton Centre closed down, the city investigated the potential of locating the arena where the now empty store stood. To acquire the property, the city had to purchase the entire mall from ING Barings for $1.7 million.
The 5,000-seat arena was then built on the site of the former Eaton's store after the purchase of the mall in 1998 and demolition of the back section where the Eaton's store once stood.
By 2009, Guelph's junior B team, the Guelph Hurricanes (formerly known as the Guelph Dominators) officially moved to the Sleeman Centre for their regular season home games.
In 2009, the City of Guelph announced plans to upgrade the Sleeman Centre starting Spring 2010. This upgrade consists of adding a video score clock to the arena that has 4 video replay screens as well as two LED rings at the top and bottom of the scoreboard.
Home Teams
The home teams that play at the sleeman centre are OHL Team, Guelph StormGuelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
and Canadian junior team, Guelph Hurricanes.
Private-public partnership
A private-public partnership was hailed as a great deal to building the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre in 1998 because it stipulated that the city would not be liable for private partners operating losses, nor the senior loan. The city entered a P3 agreement with Nustadia in 1998 to build and operate the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre for 30 years.The city contributed half of the cost of the project and also guaranteed a $9-million loan for capital costs, which was to be paid back by Nustadia.
However, in 2001, the city of Guelph had to take over the $10 million "senior" loan for the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre, plus the $9.5 million "subordinated" loan the city was already paying due to Nustadia failing to make a June 1 quarterly payment of $181,250. Guelph taxpayers had to pay $3 million over the a four year span to make Nustadia's payments on its bank loan for the downtown arena.
Nustadia said difficulties to making payments were attributed to a number of factors, including the failure to generate anticipated restaurant and food court revenue and lower-than-projected ticket sales from Guelph Storm hockey games. Nustadia expected 3,500 people per game but the average was closer to 2,800 in 2000/2001.
The four-year reprieve granted by Guelph City Council was recommended so that Nustadia's fortunes can be tested under ideal conditions. Nustadia was to repay the money but a clause in the agreement between the city and the developer gave either side the ability to walk away with no financial obligations to the other. That deal expired on June 30, 2005 which opened the door for Nustadia to walk away.
In 2005, after the four year reprieve, the city took over ownership of the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre because Nustadia Developments Inc. decided to walk away from the downtown facility, completing a controversial transaction that has been expected for a few months.
The deal at the time transferred the ownership from Guelph Centre Partners, a division of Nustadia that was managing the arena, to the city, and left Guelph taxpayers on the hook for nearly $4 million in unanticipated debt plus the $9-million loan previously guaranteed by the city. http://kcal.ca/BidulkaGuelph.html
The Sleeman Centre acted as host for the 2008 Founders Cup
Founders Cup
The Founders Cup is the championship trophy of Canada's Junior "B" lacrosse leagues. The custodial duties of this trophy fall upon the Canadian Lacrosse Association. The National Champions are determined through a round robin format with a playdown for the final in a host city...
Tournament.
Sleeman sponsorship
In June 2007, Sleeman BreweriesSleeman Breweries
Sleeman Brewery Ltd. is a brewery located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. John H. Sleeman originally began brewing beer in 1834. By 1933 the Sleeman brewery had ceased operations when their liquor licence was revoked for bootlegging, specifically, smuggling beer into Detroit, Michigan. The brewery was...
and the City of Guelph finalized a $1.2 million sponsorship deal that gives the beer company exclusive naming rights to the Guelph Sports & Entertainment Centre until 2020.
Layout
In the main arena the seats are blue, with private suites located one level above the main seating area. The club seats are behind the player benches. There is also a restaurant behind the club seats as well as a 200 level VIP section on the same level of the private boxes. The arena has a standard four-sided scoreboardScoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
which is blue to go with the arena theme colour. The concourse is wide and horseshoe shaped, as fans have to either exit to Old Quebec Street food court or go through the restaurant. Fans can walk all the way around the arena in a circle.