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ICC guarantees an Oilers affiliate if it builds downtown arena

Photo supplied: A conceptual northwest view of the SEC. REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WOOD BUFFALO

(Photo supplied: Sports and Entertainment Centre concept, northwest view. REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WOOD BUFFALO)

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) has entered into preliminary negotiations with International Coliseums Company (ICC) to build the sports and entertainment centre (SEC) in the downtown core.

The RMWB says it was unable to reach a suitable deal with Clearwater Consortium.

“Some of the main building blocks of a letter of intent could not be reached, those terms affected all different areas of architecture, finance, and construction at a high level,” said Director of Supply Chain Management Ted Zlotnik.

ICC responded to the original request for information for the SEC in 2011.

If selected to build the complex, ICC would guarantee an Edmonton Oilers affiliated lead tenant, and work with local contractors including IBI Group.

“Getting a deal that benefits taxpayers is our biggest priority,” said Director of Supply Chain Management Ted Zlotnik. “We’ve begun negotiations with ICC and are aware of the advantages they bring to the table, including affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers.”

In May of 2014 Edmonton Oilers President and COO Pat Lafarge sat down with Rock 97.9’s Chris Byrne to discuss the possibility of an Oilers affiliate in Fort McMurray.

“You need an arena, you need an owner and you need a market. I certainly like the market no question, I think if we moved our team here we’d qualify as the owner, and the building,”  said Lafarge. “So a complete promise about the building and when it would open and that would motivate us to look at the market for a team.”

Supply Chain Management is following its standard procurement process by negotiating until a suitable deal is reached.

“Although we are still in the very early process of negotiations with ICC, we are cautiously optimistic that these negotiations will be productive,” said Zlotnik.

Zlotnik said Clearwater Consortium and the RMWB haven’t spoken in nearly a month.

The first face to face meeting between the Municipality and ICC took place on Mar. 6, 2015.

The two sides hope to reach a non-binding letter of intent within the next sixty days.

“We believe that construction could start in 2016, and be completed for the hockey season in 2018,” said Zlotnik.

ICC is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and according to its website has developed ten events centres since 2003, six of which hold hockey clubs as an anchor tenant.

ICC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boston Pizza Restaurants, Edmonton Oilers/Rexall Sports Corporation and Northland Properties Corporation.

The company was founded in 2001 by Boston Pizza International Co-CEO’s Jim Treliving and George Melville along with current Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving and Rick Kozuback.

Kozuback has been the President and CEO since its inception.

– This story is developing