Brandt’s purchase of REAL properties approved by city council

Shaun Semple's bid to purchase a large portion of the REAL District Campus will now be debated and voted on by city council. Donovan Maess reports.

Regina city council has voted in favour of Brandt’s proposal to buy several REAL properties during at Wednesday’s meeting.

Following a handful of delegates, some speaking in favour and some against, the vote was put to councillors, who voted 8 to 3.

Councillors Radons, Flores, and Zachidniak voted against the deal.

Before Wednesday’s meeting, the proposal was discussed during executive committee on April 29. That vote passed seven to four in favour of the deal.

• Brandt purchase of REAL District clears first hurdle with executive committee approval

The $6.5 million deal will see the purchase of the Ag-Ex Building, Canada Centre Building, Commercial Cattle Barn, Queensbury Convention Centre, Stockman’s Building, the Brandt Centre, the Agribition Building, the land lease for the McDonalds located at 1810 Exhibition Parkway and the parking lot west of Mosaic Stadium.

As part of the deal, Brandt will be assuming existing leases, sponsorship, food and beverage and service agreements related to the buildings, as well as all event bookings or contracts. Brandt would also be assuming all REAL employment contracts.

Just like the executive committee meeting last week, most of the delegates that spoke on Wednesday were in favour of the proposal.

Last week, former Regina mayor Pat Fiacco lobbied for the proposal to pass and on Wednesday, fellow former mayor Michael Fougere lent his support.

“If you want to look at how Brandt would be as a partner, look at what they’ve done throughout the city, particularly with ice hockey and now baseball. They have a longstanding, strong relationship of providing results and being a great partner,” Fougere said.

• Here’s a deep dive into the terms of the REAL-Brandt proposal

There was some opposition to the proposal on the night, as a couple of Regina citizens voiced their concerns about the deal.

James Elliott had some questions and concerns.

“I see this is as a wealthy corporation that should be paying taxes and paying a lot more than what they currently are proposing. If this is what a community partner appears to be like, I’m not sure whether I’d like to have them as a partner,” he said.

North Central resident Kelly Miller said she was in favour of Coun. Zachidniak’s proposed amendment of tabling Brandt’s proposal that she brought forth in last week’s executive committee meeting.

“The city will lose control forever of this property that it has owned for 127 years. Plus, there are 700 workers that are affected by this deal,” Miller said.

Not every resident on the night was against the proposal.

Former commanding officer of the Royal Regina Rifles and current official ambassador of the Regina Pats alumni Edward Staniowski had this to say:

“We have a saying in the army, the plan is nothing, the planning that goes into the plan is everything,” he said.

“And I can say with hand on heart, because I have been involved with a number of planning initiatives with the Brandt Corporation and the Semple family, that what you’re going to receive in the plan has had a lot of planning going into it.”

Two amendments were passed by council before the proposal was eventually passed.

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The first amendment by Coun. David Froh involves the protection of the Co-operators Centre and AffinityPlex.

The second amendment posed by Coun. Radons will see city administration bring an annual report that will provide an evaluation on the status of the community commitment performance measures outlined in the deal.

After the proposal passed, Brandt CEO Shaun Semple reflected on the deal passing one of its final hurdles.

“Very happy, very happy that it’s gone through. It’s been a long process the last six months getting to this point. But we were confident after the executive council meeting that it would go through. And tonight was even better,” he said.

When Semple was asked why he decided to take on this project, he said, “The city needs it, the Pats need it, our fans in the community need it. And if it wasn’t us, who was going to do it. And Regina’s been very good to us and to our family, this is our way of giving back.”

Our live coverage of the proceedings can be found below.

7:15 PM - Vote carried

Following a supper break and further discussion from city councillors, the proposal was put to a vote.

Eight councillors voted in favour and three voted against.

5:45 PM – Second amendment put to council

Ward 7 Coun. Shobna Radons also proposed an amendment to the REAL – Brandt proposal.

It would see administration bring an annual report providing an evaluation on the status of the community commitment performance measures outlined in the agreement. It would also be considered in future requests for tax exemptions.

The amendment was carried with a vote of seven to four.

Councillors Tsiklis, Rashovich, Bezo and Burton voted against the amendment.

5:10 PM – Amendment proposed to protect retained assets

Ward 3 Coun. David Froh put forth an amendment to the REAL – District proposal.

Pending approval and completion of the proposed Brandt deal, the amendment would see the protection of the Co-operators Centre and AffinityPlex.

It involved city administration reporting back to the 2027-28 budget deliberations, with recommendations on the creation of an asset maintenance reserve to serve as the funding source for the capital repair and refurbishment of the two buildings.

The amendment was carried unanimously.

4:35 PM – Council moves to private session

City council moves to an in-camera session, unavailable to the public, so that officials can receive legal advice.

3:45 PM – Brandt CEO makes final argument to city council

Brandt CEO Shaun Semple was the final delegate to speak to the REAL – Brandt proposal.

“This proposal means a renewed and revitalized REAL District, it means improvement to the Brandt Centre and the surrounding buildings, modernizing the experience from top to bottom, it means better hospitality, more activities, better events and more reasons for people to come to the grounds, not just a few times a year, but consistently,” he said.

Coun. Zachidniak asked Semple what would happen if he’s not able to deliver on his great ideas.

“We are going to have the single largest, most expensive music venue built right next to the Brandt Centre. There’s nothing like it anywhere, and that tells you we’re in the game. Failure isn’t an option,” Semple responded.

Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski then posed the opposite question to Semple.

“What if you are able to deliver on your vision?” he asked.

Semple said that would mean 110 to 120 events at the Brandt Centre a year.

“That’s hopefully a couple of big events at Mosaic Stadium, that’s a brand-new site with new features that you won’t see in Canada.”

2:55 PM – Regina citizens again split on proposed deal

Former commanding officer of the Royal Regina Rifles and current official ambassador of the Regina Pats alumni Edward Staniowski lent his full support to the REAL – Brandt proposal.

Staniowski played four years with the Pats in the 1970s and was part of the team’s last Memorial Cup win in 1974.

“We have a saying in the army, the plan is nothing, the planning that goes into the plan is everything,” he said.

“And I can say with hand on heart, because I have been involved with a number of planning initiatives with the Brandt Corporation and the Semple family, that what you’re going to receive in the plan has had a lot of planning going into it.”

Kelly Miller, a resident of North Central Regina, said she was in favour of Coun. Zachidniak’s previous amendment proposal of tabling the proposal in last week’s executive committee meeting.

“The city will lose control forever of this property that it has owned for 127 years. Plus, there are 700 workers that are affected by this deal,” she said.

“Shaun Semple has made it clear that this a take it or leave it type of deal. It seems the decision was already made and that was before council found out the details, which was the same time that citizens did. I find that to be undemocratic.”

2:45 PM – RDBID says proposal will help city centre flourish

Judith Veresuk, the executive director of the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID), said the REAL District and Regina’s downtown are neighbours and need to work hand in hand in order for the city to thrive.

“Increased event driven traffic will positively impact our members, both the businesses, restaurants and hotels, as well as improved perceptions of downtown,” she said.

Ward 8 Coun. Shanon Zachidniak asked Veresuk if there are any concerns with investing in the REAL District, instead of downtown.

Veresuk said that is not a concern, as the REAL District, downtown centre, and Warehouse District are all close to each other, and the spin-off effects of a revitalized REAL District will benefit Regina’s downtown.

2:30 PM – Another former mayor lends support to proposal

Speaking to councillors, former mayor Michael Fougere said he fully supports the recommendations from Brandt, calling it an “exciting opportunity for the city that we haven’t seen for quite awhile.”

He said while there is a risk that comes along with the decision, he said the opportunity is too big to pass up.

“It’s a well thought out, well considered approach and I can’t think of another approach that would provide the animation and the destination that we want to see at REAL property, we all have wanted for a long time,” he told councillors.

2 PM - Regina citizens have differing opinions on the proposal

The next two delegates to speak were both citizens of Regina and had split opinions on the proposal.

Tathagata Das was in favour of the proposal, noting the mounting financial pressures REAL has faced over the years.

“We have seen the reports on the staggering infrastructure deficit, and the status quo that simply isn’t working for the people of Regina. Today we have a clear private sector solution on the table that doesn’t just patch a hole, it fixes the foundation,” he said.

However, James Elliott had some questions and concerns about the proposed deal.

“I see this is as a wealthy corporation that should be paying taxes and paying a lot more than what they currently are proposing. If this is what a community partner appears to be like, I’m not sure whether I’d like to have them as a partner,” he said.

1:30 PM – Delegations kick off with former mayor Pat Fiacco

The discussion on REAL’s proposal begins with its first delegate, former mayor Pat Fiacco.

He described the deal as an “extraordinary opportunity” and encouraged city council to vote yes.

“Brandt is making what could be one of the largest private sector investments in Regina. This is not just a financial contribution, it’s a long-term commitment to the future of our city,” he told councillors.