silver building with lots of windows

ICE District is home to Rogers Arena and will soon include the Downtown Event Park and the Village at ICE District community.

Rogers Place is a multi-use indoor arena located in downtown at 10220 104 Avenue NW. It is the home of the Edmonton Oilers hockey franchise and is also a venue for concerts, sports and other events.

The City of Edmonton owns Rogers Place and the land that it sits on. Rogers Place opened in fall 2016.

In 2025, the City and the Oilers Entertainment Group agreed to build a new public event park and housing development next to Rogers Place with the support of the Government of Alberta.

The Agreement for the Public Event Park and the Village at ICE District

Along with the Government of Alberta and Oilers Entertainment Group, the City is working to accelerate the development of more housing, new public infrastructure and economic opportunities in Edmonton’s downtown area through 3 projects.

The total cost of all projects is $408.2 million, which will be shared among all 3 partners and will deliver:

  • A new public event park in ICE District
  • Public infrastructure enabling a 2,500 unit community in the Village at ICE District
  • Demolition of the Coliseum and other work to advance the early stages of the Exhibition Lands development

The master agreement is the next step in advancing these transformational projects. It is between the Oilers Entertainment Group and the City, with support from the Province.

Council’s approval of the agreement allows the City to execute it (as well as finalize and execute the necessary supporting agreements) with Oilers Entertainment Group, which paves the way for these projects to progress. Entering into a Master Agreement was also a requirement for the City to subsequently be able to enter into grant agreements with the Province for these projects.

City funding for the ICE District projects will come from tax revenue from the downtown community revitalization levy (CRL), not from general tax revenues. The City will reallocate already approved funding for Coliseum demolition to other public infrastructure projects within Exhibition Lands.

Documents

Master Agreement


Fact Sheet

News Release - August 25, 2025
Master agreement approved for event park and Village at ICE District.

The Agreement to Build Rogers Place

The City entered into a series of agreements with the Edmonton Arena Corporation (EAC), owned by Daryl Katz, who also owns the Edmonton Oilers, to design, build, and operate Rogers Place.

Objectives

  1. Protection of the City’s interests
  2. Does not increase current municipal property taxes
  3. Sustains the NHL in Edmonton
  4. Provides public infrastructure as a catalyst for downtown revitalization

Details

Funding
  • Rogers Place was built for $483.5 million, including underground parking.
  • The Katz Group paid $132.5-million. $112.8-million of their contribution was paid to the City as rent over 35 years, and covers the City’s principal and interest costs. The remaining $19.7-million was paid as cash.
  • The City of Edmonton’s contribution of $226-million to the arena building includes funding through a Community Revitalization Levy, new parking revenues, and redirecting the current Rexall Place subsidy.
  • $125-million was collected through a ticket surcharge.
Ford Hall
  • The price of construction for Ford Hall was $56.8-million
  • The City’s contribution to Ford Hall pedestrian pedway over 104 Avenue was $25.1 million.
  • The Katz Group paid $31.7-million. $25-million of their contribution will be paid to the City as rent over 35 years, and cover the City’s principal and interest costs. The remaining $6.7 million was paid in cash.
Public Infrastructure
  • The City built an LRT connection to the arena for a maximum $7-million, funded through the CRL.
  • The City built a pedestrian walkway through the arena, linking the LRT to Ford Hall, for a maximum $15-million, funded through the CRL.
Downtown Community Arena
  • The City built the Downtown Community Arena for $24.9-million.
  • The City owns and operates the rink, with all revenues and costs going to the City.
  • The City funded $14-million through the CRL.
  • The Federal Government funded $7-million through the Federal Gas Tax.
  • MacEwan University agreed to fund an additional $3.5-million to the community rink for improvements needed to host their Griffins athletics program.
Ticket Surcharge
  • The ticket surcharge will be levied by the City, pursuant to the Downtown Arena Ticket Surcharge Bylaw.
  • The amount of the ticket surcharge is determined by the City Manager using the process described in the Ticket Surcharge Agreement, signed between the City and the Edmonton Arena Corporation.
  • The surcharge for July 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026 is 7%. The surcharge is set annually.
  • The proceeds of this ticket surcharge go to the City and must be sufficient to cover the principal and interest payments for repayment of $125-million over a 35-year term, plus a $1.5-million annual contribution to the City to create a fund for ongoing major capital expenditures.
  • Capital contributions will be reviewed after 15 years.
  • A ticket surcharge was levied on admissions at the Coliseum at the same rate as the ticket surcharge charged on non-hockey events at Rogers Place, to a maximum of 7%. The proceeds of this surcharge went to the City.
Arena Operations
  • EAC operates Rogers Place, pays all operating and maintenance expenses and will receive all operating revenues, including naming rights and parking revenue.
  • Through a Council-approved tax agreement, EAC and affiliates pay the City a maximum of $250,000 in municipal property taxes annually, for EAC arena operations that are open during event hours and are responsible for paying all required provincial Education Property Taxes. This tax agreement excludes areas held by third parties, public parking, gambling and restaurants, bars, and other retail and commercial operations operated outside of event hours or open to the general public.
  • The City hs access to the Arena and Ford Hall for up to 28 days a year, at EAC’s incremental cost. The City’s use will be for community purposes – not for commercial events.
Edmonton Oilers
  • Sustainability of NHL Hockey in Edmonton is a prime consideration.
  • A location agreement signed as part of the deal keeps the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club in Edmonton for 35 years.
    The City entered into a marketing/branding partnership with the Edmonton Oilers to promote the City of Edmonton with the Oilers nationally and internationally at a cost of $2-million annually for 10 years.
Design and Costing
  • The cost of design work was included in the $613.7-million budget for the entire project.
  • An on-budget Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract was effective in March 2014. A GMP is a cost-based contract where the contractor is paid a fixed fee subject to a ceiling price. The contractor is responsible for cost overruns.
Land

The City bought the land for the arena project, which is included in the $613.7 million cost for the entire project. The cost of the land was $26.5-million.

Lease

The EAC has first right to negotiate up to 3 lease extensions for 10 years, and has the first right of refusal on any subsequent lease or land/building sale.

Community Benefits
  • The Community Benefits will be included within a schedule as part of the Master Agreement, acknowledging the activities of the Oilers Community Foundation.
  • A Community Advisory Committee meets on a quarterly basis to identify and address community issues.
  • A senior member of the Oiler’s operations serves on the Community Advisory Committee.
  • There will be provision for development/facilitation of training or employment for low-income/high-need Edmontonians.

Documents

Agreements signed between the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Arena Corporation, which is owned by the Katz Group.  

Note: The content reflects the original agreements signed in 2013. Some information has been redacted as per Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) regulations.

Summary of Financial Framework Terms

The total cost of the project was $613.7 million. The entire project included the arena, Ford Hall, Downtown Community Arena, LRT connection, pedestrian corridor and the land.

None of the sources of funding for Rogers Place or the associated infrastructure resulted in an increase in municipal taxes.

ElementEstimated CostCRLOther City FundingEAC Lease FundingEAC Cash*Ticket SurchargeOther
Rogers Place (the arena)$483.5$145$81$112.8$19.7$125 
Ford Hall$56.8$25$0.1$25$6.7  
Pedestrian Corridor$15$15     
LRT Connection$7$7     
Community Downtown Arena$24.9$14$0.1 $0.3 $10.5
Arena Land$26.5$25$0.5 $1  
Totals$613.7$231$81.7$137.8$27.7$125$10.5

(costs in millions)
*Cash funding is from the EAC and ICE District Joint Venture, both of which have an ownership interest by the Katz Group.

The Community

Involving Edmontonians in the Downtown Arena and Entertainment District was a priority. Input gathered assisted City Council in its decision-making.

Public Consultations

The City held two extensive public consultations on the project. 

Spring 2012 Final Report

Winter 2010 Final Report

Community Advisory Committee

The committee, representing areas near the arena district, advised and gave recommendations to the City and the Edmonton Arena Corporation (EAC) during and after the construction of the Downtown Arena District.

Members

Representatives from the Edmonton Oilers administration and Arena operations participated in meetings. The Advisory Committee was made up of representatives from each of the following groups:

  • Downtown Edmonton Community League
  • Wîhkwêntôwin (Oliver) Community League
  • Central McDougall Community League
  • Queen Mary Park Community League
  • Boyle Street Community League
  • McCauley Community League
  • Boyle Street Community Services
  • REACH Edmonton
  • Bissell Centre
  • Downtown Business Association
  • North Edge Business Association
  • Chinatown Business Association
  • Little Italy Business Association
  • Edmonton District Labour Council
  • Council of Business Improvement Areas
  • EFCL Community Development
aerial view of land with parking lots
Aerial view of the site before construction started in March 2014.