![['Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee in front of city hall in this recent photograph.']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/tg-28122016-city-2.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=format%2Ccompress%2Cenhance)
Islanders will get their first look today at a long-anticipated report on whether or not Charlottetown should build a new arena.
Council received the report, compiled by an arena task force, during a private meeting Wednesday night at city hall.
Mayor Clifford Lee would not provide any details on the report when leaving the meeting, but said it would be released to the public before lunchtime today.
“Council obviously just received the report tonight so we haven’t had a whole lot of time to discuss it or digest what’s in the report,” said Lee. “We’re just saying it’s important to give the report to the community and let the community digest it as well.”
Lee said the document would be available on the city’s website, while physical copies would also be available at city hall.
The task force, which was chaired by Mike Hennessey, was formed in May 2016 to look at the feasibility of establishing a major facility that would replace Eastlink Centre and create a succession plan for aging facilities for council to review.
The city currently subsidizes the Simmons, Cody Banks and Eastlink arenas to the tune of $1.5 million per year, a cost that will only go up as the facilities age.
P.E.I. is also set to host the Canada Games in 2023. The Charlottetown Civic Centre, now known as the Eastlink Centre, was built when P.E.I. last hosted the Winter Games in 1991.
