It’s been an uphill climb for Servus Credit Union Place, but nearly four years after opening it appears the facility is finally starting to win support among St. Albert residents. While these results are encouraging, city council needs to ensure this is just one of many future successes for the facility.
The city’s latest citizen satisfaction survey suggests Servus Place is gaining support in the community, with 66 per cent of those polled saying they’re either very or somewhat satisfied with the facility, an increase of 11 per cent over last year. Meanwhile, dissatisfied responses dropped to 19 per cent (eight per cent saying they’re very dissatisfied and 11 per cent somewhat dissatisfied), down from 26 per cent last year.
The results offer a glimmer of hope for a facility that has endured a rocky history in the public eye right from inception and a close plebiscite vote to the debacle that ensued after it lost more than $2 million in its first full year of operations.
Residents felt betrayed about being sold a bill of goods that didn’t live up to its break-even promise and Servus Place became a physical symbol of St. Albert’s sky-high municipal property taxes that rank among the highest in the nation. Not surprisingly, the facility sank in public opinion, with 49 per cent of residents expressing some degree of dissatisfaction during the 2008 citizen survey.
The city stick-handled the controversy by creating a citizen task force to oversee an entire operational review. Pains were taken to make the process as transparent as possible, with input from local residents before an official apology from Mayor Nolan Crouse. That willingness to admit to past mistakes and vows of improved fiscal oversight helped the city navigate through the crisis until the anger subsided.
On the surface, it appears public opinion is turning a corner, however city council should not view the results as an endorsement of ongoing infusions of taxpayer dollars. Servus Place isn’t bleeding cash like it used to but that’s largely because council has opted for low-ball budgets rather than setting more aggressive revenue and expense targets, presumably to avoid a repeat of 2008 and having to go to taxpayers for more. This approach might uphold the image of accountability, however it does little to raise the number of memberships, still flat-lining in the 7,000 range — well below the 11,000 city leadership once envisioned.
Setting the bar higher could only help Servus Place reach its full potential as a first-class community gathering place, something that goes beyond budget targets. Almost four years after opening, Servus Place has yet to hold a single concert inside the 2,000-seat ‘Performance Arena.’ That’s not to say it hasn’t hosted excellent events like the opening ceremonies for last year’s Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games, or even Mark Messier Day, however a first-class venue like that could help fill a void in St. Albert and attract top quality performers who are too big for the 500-seat Arden yet too small for the 18,000-seat Rexall Place. The same can be said for the two indoor soccer pitches which sit empty more than they’re utilized, a bitter pill for any taxpayer to swallow given the amount of real estate dedicated to the space.
The Servus Place task force did not solve the facility’s budget woes, nor was it been a cure-all for public opinion but it did help identify the facility’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to council to ensure progress continues forward so that Servus Place enjoys its rightful place as a symbol of pride for residents and visitors alike.
