Paul Martin commentary
There are more than numbers at play in the continuing saga of Regina’s exhibition association.
The latest iteration of this story revolves around the potential for Shaun Semple to expand his entertainment division with the acquisition of the Brandt Centre along with a handful of other, older properties and land.
This seems a logical next step of an earlier agreement for the company’s property division to lease the YQR Distillery building adjacent to the Brandt Centre.
REAL has long been unbalanced as its financial woes overshadowed everything. The city appointed a new board to right the ship. It parted ways with the CEO, hired another one who lasted less than six months. But the situation was too far gone for the city and its new board to rectify without a white knight like Semple.
While the city retains the more current assets the underlying problem remains – not enough civic money or will to parlay Mosaic Stadium into an entertainment hub. Semple has the vision and the pockets to bring some stability to the district and to build it.
