"A lot of the questions you are asking, this task force could answer those," said Joe Powers, chairman of the Rochester Convention and Visitor's Bureau board, after proposing the creation of a task force to discuss the proposal to build a new $58 million, 6,250-seat facility.
Among the unanswered questions are how it would be funded, who would control venue operations and how it would impact existing operations.
In addition to answering such questions, Brad Jones, RCVB executive director, said the task force would help engage private partners in building an arena that could cater to sports teams, as well as a variety of other entertainment opportunities.
"We need a group to to really engage with those parties and bring those actual proposals back," he said. "Right now, we're dealing in hyperbole. We're dealing in projection, so without actually going through that process, we can guess all we want."
Council Member Mark Hickey said he'd want to see examples to prove a new venue can be successful.
"If this is a good idea, it's been done somewhere else in a similar-sized city," he said.
Council Member Mark Bilderback took the potential task force challenge a step further, saying he'd also like to see examples of when arenas failed, which would offer guidance on what to avoid.
"I think we need to cover all bases," he said.
The council will likely consider creating a task force at its next regular meeting next week. Members delayed a Sept. 18 request, which was submitted by the Mayo Civic Center Commission.
On Monday, Commission Chairman Marv Mitchell said the task force request came from a desire to answer many of the questions voiced by the council.
"When it came before the commission, we neither endorsed it nor did we shoot it down," he said, noting answers are needed before the commission could support next steps.
Council member Ed Hruska, who is executive director of the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission under the RCVB, said one of the next steps could open other doors.
"We talk a lot about public-private partnerships, yet we don't have a way to welcome them to our community," he said.
Powers said he's had conversations about how that would work, but the potential private partners need proof that the city is willing to investigate options.
One proposed partner could be a U.S. Hockey League franchise.
With that in mind, Jones said the project would ideally target a construction timeline for the facility ready for the start of the 2019 USHL season. With a 16- to 17-month construction period, that could mean requiring a decision by April.
Council member Nick Campion questioned the urgency behind the proposal, noting the council faced a similar request shortly after he took office in 2015.
"I just don't think the timing is right," he said, noting the Mayo Civic Center renovations are still new and the city needs time to consider options.
"You don't try to add a deck to a house you are currently building," he said, suggesting a two- to three-year delay for future renovations would provide time to understand what is best for the current facility.
"There's going to still be a demand for hockey arenas, because they keep coming up," he said.
Council President Randy Staver, who sits on the RCVB board, said the civic center's performance appears to be on track.
"Generally speaking, they are on track with what we were hoping to see," he said.
Jones said if the council opts to form a task force, he suggests it be operated as a city board, adhering to open-meeting requirements.
"You're the owner of the facility, so I would suggest they be very transparent in a public setting," he said, adding: "I think it's to a point now where it's a public process."
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