City council deferred discussion on a proposed Oak View Group 360 partnership for Saskatoon’s Downtown Event and Entertainment District.
SASKATOON — Saskatoon city council has hit pause on a major public-private partnership, voting unanimously to delay a decision on the proposed Oak View Group 360 deal for the Downtown Event and Entertainment District until early 2026.
City council, during its business meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at council chambers, made the decision even after a five-member team from OVG presented the benefits of moving forward with the proposed Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED), including its plan to market Saskatoon globally and position the prairie city as an alternative venue for concerts and conventions internationally.
Council said it still needs to process all the information provided by the administration on the DEED project, as well as the presentation by OVG co-chair Peter Luuko and senior vice-president for business development Peter Zingoni. City technical services director Dan Willems is the administration’s lead for the DEED project.
Council is considering the negotiated points that would create a third-party operating management structure for the Downtown Event Centre and Convention Centre — a project the administration believes would revitalize downtown activity, benefit local businesses, and increase the city’s revenues.
Council also said it wanted the opportunity to discuss the project with organizations and other groups that will be affected once it moves forward. The proposed agreement provided to council members outlines $15 million in up-front capital and a projected $235 million in forecasted operating revenue sharing over the 30-year term. The previous agreement projected only $170 million in combined capital and operating revenue over 25 years.
The proposed agreement would also reduce the city’s financial risk, with OVG absorbing potential losses in the event of incidents. The new proposal also outlines benefits for the city, including economic opportunities for traditionally marginalized groups, employment opportunities aligned with existing employees and unions, and advantages for community non-profit events.
OVG is a full-service venue management and hospitality company with operations in sports events, concerts and other live entertainment, as well as convention venues. It has more than 200 client-partners globally, providing services such as booking and content development, food and beverage operations, sales and marketing, and sustainable practices to help venues maximize their success and elevate the guest experience.
OVG presented its proposal to partner with the City of Saskatoon to manage and develop a new event and convention centre, with the administration emphasizing the partnership could yield an estimated $250 million in net cash flow over 30 years — helping to cover the project’s capital costs. If city council approves the agreement, it would allow further negotiations with OVG, with any changes presented again to council.
Luuko emphasized the team’s global experience in managing more than 300 venues, including arenas, theatres and convention centres that host over 10,000 events annually and attract 100 million visitors. He also highlighted the company’s success in securing more than 40 naming-rights deals since 2019 and operating a $2-billion food and beverage division.
The company cited successful projects in London, Ont.; Palm Springs, Calif.; and Hamilton, Ont., as examples of how public-private partnerships can drive downtown revitalization, job creation and economic growth. In London, OVG’s partnership helped transform the city’s downtown economy and attract major concerts and sporting events. The Hamilton Coliseum renovation, they said, tripled show bookings and significantly increased sponsorship and naming-rights revenue.
A significant focus of OVG’s pitch was community integration. The company pledged to build a wholly Canadian operations team in Saskatoon, prioritize local sourcing — committing at least 25 per cent of food and beverage procurement to local producers — and engage Indigenous communities through training, career development and supplier partnerships. It also proposed internship programs with local schools and universities to support workforce development.