Wildcats given OK to make improvements to Moncton's downtown centre

The Moncton Wildcats has been given the go ahead to make changes to the new $104-milliondowntown centre, even though the team isn'tsigned on as an official tenant.

Moncton city council approved a motion allowing the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teamto make "leasehold improvements" in the centre, through a contract with Bird Construction.

• Need parking? Moncton says 4,000 spots available near downtown centre
• A sneak peek into Moncton's $104M downtown centre
• Moncton's downtown centre plaza to cost more than double original estimate

Ryan Jenner, the team's director of business operations, saidthere are three spaces where improvementsmay be made the dressing room, office andboutique.

"Currently [thereare]four blank walls so there's absolutely nothing done to those spaces currently so it's a fairly standard course in a lease arrangement that we would work that out with the landlord and then work it into a lease agreement or a term," said Jenner.

Moncton owns the building, which is expected to open in September 2018, but it will be operated and managed by SMG Canada.

For us, we're here to win hockey games and we win hockey games by having the best players and so if this is going to help us do that, this is what we want to do.-RyanJenner

The motion allows up to $2 millionin improvements, which will be paid back to the city over a20-year period.

The motion passed with no debate on Monday night.

"We own the building so certainly for us any improvement is a benefit to us as the owners of the building," said Isabelle LeBlanc, a city spokesperson.

"So any improvement that we will see will serve us in the long term so we see this council sees this as a very positive step in the downtown centre."

Moving forward, Jennersaid the hockey team isin the process of negotiating with SMG Canada to sign on as a tenant withthe facility.

"We're committed to the project," he said.

"We want to be there and we're working through that with them now."

• Moncton taxpayers subsidize Irving through Wildcats lease
• Moncton Wildcats contracts made public after challenge
• Moncton hands off Wildcats negotiations to private firm

Part of the winning team

The new Moncton facility will playa huge part in recruiting future players, Jenner said.

"We're competing against not only other teams in our league you know U.S. colleges that have phenomenal facilities with endless alumni money it's a big deal for a junior hockey player to have a great facility to play out of," he said.

"For us, we're here to win hockey games and we win hockey games by having the best players and so if this is going to help us do that, this is what we want to do."

Monctoncouncil also approved a motionallowingtheMonctonWildcats to make a "significant" contribution to the city's fundraising campaign for the downtown centre and plaza project.

The goal of the campaign is $5 million, which will go towards the cost of the facility,which is expected to be more than $100 million.

The amount of the Wildcats contribution has not been revealed butLeBlanc saidan announcement will be made at a later date.

• Moncton's mayor explains city's payment to Wildcats