Post by Ducky on Oct 13, 2005 6:14:42 GMT -5
Arena seats up for grabsBarn demolition
By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER
Just as the NHL is back, so is a Winnipeg hockey seat sale -- make that giveaway -- to match it.
Thousands of seats from the old Winnipeg Arena will soon be up for grabs before the 50-year-old barn comes crumbling down piece by piece in the coming months.
Contrary to beliefs the mothballed Maroons Road complex has been gutted of its 13,000-plus chairs, Rakowski Cartage and Wrecking Ltd. officials say about half the seats remain.
Bring your tools
"If someone wants seats, give us a shout. We'll be happy to let them take one," Chris Rakowski, the company's superintendent, told The Sun yesterday as the firm geared up for the demolition to begin within two weeks.
While cash won't be necessary to take home seats from the old Jets shrine, elbow grease or even a couple of tools might be.
"They'll have to come in and get them. We're not taking them out," Rakowski said. "We'll make a couple of days available for seats. But only seats. We're not entertaining any other crazy ideas."
The offer for seats -- largely the older, wooden style rather than those with plastic bottoms earlier sold to Brandon's Keystone Centre and to the public -- will come within weeks. Rakowski said anyone interested should watch The Sun for a coming advertisement of the offer with all the details.
Rakowski will soon put a 10-member crew to work to slowly eat away at the former home of the NHL Jets and AHL Moose.
"By the first of May, only a parking lot should be left," he said.
The city has set a price tag of $1.45 million to demolish the building to allow development to begin within two years on a large retail complex planned by Ontrea Inc. -- a group including Winnipeg's Shindico Inc.
Ontrea has reportedly paid $3.6 million for Winnipeg Arena's five-acre property.
In lieu of cash sales for the arena seats, Rakowski said customers could make donations to CancerCare Manitoba by giving the firm a cheque to pass on.
By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER
Just as the NHL is back, so is a Winnipeg hockey seat sale -- make that giveaway -- to match it.
Thousands of seats from the old Winnipeg Arena will soon be up for grabs before the 50-year-old barn comes crumbling down piece by piece in the coming months.
Contrary to beliefs the mothballed Maroons Road complex has been gutted of its 13,000-plus chairs, Rakowski Cartage and Wrecking Ltd. officials say about half the seats remain.
Bring your tools
"If someone wants seats, give us a shout. We'll be happy to let them take one," Chris Rakowski, the company's superintendent, told The Sun yesterday as the firm geared up for the demolition to begin within two weeks.
While cash won't be necessary to take home seats from the old Jets shrine, elbow grease or even a couple of tools might be.
"They'll have to come in and get them. We're not taking them out," Rakowski said. "We'll make a couple of days available for seats. But only seats. We're not entertaining any other crazy ideas."
The offer for seats -- largely the older, wooden style rather than those with plastic bottoms earlier sold to Brandon's Keystone Centre and to the public -- will come within weeks. Rakowski said anyone interested should watch The Sun for a coming advertisement of the offer with all the details.
Rakowski will soon put a 10-member crew to work to slowly eat away at the former home of the NHL Jets and AHL Moose.
"By the first of May, only a parking lot should be left," he said.
The city has set a price tag of $1.45 million to demolish the building to allow development to begin within two years on a large retail complex planned by Ontrea Inc. -- a group including Winnipeg's Shindico Inc.
Ontrea has reportedly paid $3.6 million for Winnipeg Arena's five-acre property.
In lieu of cash sales for the arena seats, Rakowski said customers could make donations to CancerCare Manitoba by giving the firm a cheque to pass on.