Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco says a proposed stadium project in the city should include a major inner-city housing development.
In his State of the City address Thursday, Fiacco said the 46 acres of land currently occupied by Mosaic Stadium and the Canadian Pacific container yard is an ideal site to build "desperately" needed housing, along with what he called an "all-year entertainment facility."
"People have got to quit thinking about a football stadium and start thinking about an inner-city redevelopment," Fiacco told reporters.
"I'm more concerned about the opportunity for homes for families."
The Saskatchewan government has applied for $100 million in federal funding to build the proposed $430-million domed stadium.
However, Fiacco says the city will move ahead with its plans even if Ottawa isn't on board.
"We need to look at a number of options that would include federal funding and that would not include federal funding," Fiacco said.
"We're just not going to lay low on this one. We have to continue to work toward this."
Ken Cheveldayoff, the provincial cabinet minister leading the charge for a new stadium, says the government supports the mayor's plan to include a housing development in the project.
"To be fair, it's always been part of what we've envisioned, but we haven't talked about it enough," Cheveldayoff said.
"We're going to be working together more than ever on this whole project, not just on the entertainment facility."
