Moncton mayor handed '$113-million key' to events centre

Moncton'smayor was handed what she called the '$113-million key' to the city's downtown events centre Tuesday, the symbolic end to years of research and construction.

While posing for photos, Mayor Dawn Arnold then handed the key off to the building's general manager, Nick DeLuco, before leading officials and reporters inside the 8,800-seat centre along Main Street.

While the city is celebrating what's called substantial completion, meaning most construction work is done and the builder has been paid $88 million, there's still work to be done before it is complete and paid off.

DeLuco said the building is about 90 to 95 per cent complete. Construction "deficiencies" still need to be addressed, he said, mainly involving paint.

City council decided to go ahead with construction in August 2015 at the formerHighfieldSquare mall site. It award the contract to a consortium led by Bird Capital. It was expected to take three years and cost $104.2 million.

While the arena is set to open on time, the cost grew aftercouncil approved a fund to pay for an adjacent public plaza and other extras.

Another to-do is naming the building at 150 Canada St.

DeLuco said SMG Canada, the private company managing the centre for the city, is still in talks with those interested in securing naming rights.

"We want to get something done by September," DeLuco said. "That's the hope, that's the belief."

The city's fundraising campaign to cover $5 million of the total cost also isn't done.

Last year, the city hired a consultant to help carry out the fundraising campaign. A staff report to council at the time said the campaign's target would be the end of June this year.

However, the effort was only officially launched in May with an announcement that $1.6 million had been secured. The bulk of the money $1 million came from the Moncton Wildcats, the team thatwill call the arena home ice.

Arnold told reporters more announcements about that will happen soon and she declined to offer an updated total.

The mayor said the doors to the centre will open to the public in early September for a tour.

"I cannot wait for everybody to get in here, get behind the scenes, kick the tires and see how incredible this centre really is."