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A Regina soccer group that operates one of the facilities at REAL District is now demanding clarity on a proposal by Brandt to take over operation and maintenance of REAL facilities it isn’t buying – including the AffinityPlex.
“We have a 25-year contract with REAL/City of Regina that we signed back in 2019, and that takes us all the way to 2044,” T.J. Singh, executive director of FC Regina, said in an interview.
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“And the whole contract states that we operate the AffinityPlex while REAL maintains the AffinityPlex.”
Singh explains that under the contract, FC Regina operates the AffinityPlex and subleases space to groups like the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who use it for indoor practices, and Martin Academy.
In a letter to Regina City Council, the non-profit organization says its lease agreement is entirely separate from REAL’s master lease with the city and must be considered separately.
“We are very confused because we need more clarity, or they need to define what ‘operator’ means,” he said. “I feel they have combined three or four properties while there are different agreements between REAL and those member groups,” he said. “We cannot be lumped into the same agreement as the others are.”
While the contract was signed with REAL, Singh said REAL is owned by the City of Regina, so the city would be ultimately responsible.
He said the group has requested a meeting with all of the parties, but hasn’t received any responses except for one conversation with REAL’s acting CEO, Trent Fraser. He also said there isn’t enough time before the meeting to seek legal advice.
An aerial view of REAL District in Regina. (980 CJME file photo)
Ward 4 Councillor David Froh said the FC Regina issue is just one of several questions he has about the proposal for Brandt to become the operator of the entire REAL District, including facilities the city will continue to own.
“I have a lot of questions, and they’re entirely related to what it will cost for the public to use these rinks in these fields, how they’ll be able to access them, and the public good,” Froh said Monday.
“I voted for the last deal, but there’s some big questions that have to be addressed, and we’re being asked again to do this in a really short period of time.”
Froh’s biggest concern is for user groups such as youth sports.
“We told the public we were selling old assets and privatizing the commercial side of REAL’s business, and this is a change,” he said.
“We run rinks and fields every single day. We have to do what’s best for hockey players and ringette players and soccer players and youth sports.
“We have to be very careful that we’re not making an amendment that puts the public in a place where perhaps they’re paying more or they can access these facilities less. I’m not saying that will be the case, but we have to ask those questions.”
Froh said it’s not clear who would operate food and beverage concessions and who would determine lease rates.
One group that isn’t concerned is Hockey Regina. Board chair Kenric Exner said it has a lease for the Co-operators Centre, although he declined to say when it ends.
“I think if it’s mutually beneficial to both the city and to Brandt, it does make sense for us,” Exner said in an interview Monday.
“We’ve had very good dealings with the city, the Co-operators (Centre), REAL, Brandt. So for us, we have a high level of confidence in either group to run the assets.”
But he said if Brandt is allowed to take over operations, he’s confident in having a good relationship with the company.
“I don’t know that Brandt has a deep history of operating sports facilities but … they’re a very reputable large company that I think has the skill set and has the people and the resources and has the passion to do that,” Exner said.
“Mr. Semple’s (Brandt CEO Shaun Semple) done a pretty amazing job here trying to give back to the community by investing in the capital and providing the people of this city the assets that we want and need. So it’s something new that I’m sure that they’ll figure out.”
He said the synergies of Brandt operating the entire site, including the buildings it’s not buying, appear to make sense.
Ultimately, Singh said FC Regina would be satisfied if Brandt simply took over REAL’s role providing maintenance to the AffinityPlex, but that needs to be written into the city report.
“This meeting on Wednesday will be crucial for us just to get more clarity on this, and hopefully city personnel also are a little more transparent and moving forward so that — at least involve the parties that are directly getting affected by these agreements that they’re signing with different parties.”
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