The Permanent Outdoor Festival Site project was approved in principle by City Council on March 26, 2018 through the Recreation and Parks Master Plan - Facilities Game Plan - Proposed Funding Plan, subject to budget approval.  81% of households surveyed in the 2015 City of Saskatoon Recreation and Parks Master Plan supported the prioritization of a City of Saskatoon Festival Venue. The concept of an Outdoor Festival Space ranked 2^nd in priority out of 21 possible Outdoor Recreation Facility Spaces.

The funding for the Permanent Outdoor Festival Site Study was approved in the 2020 Capital Budget process under Project No. 2114; Riverbank Park Upgrades.

The funding for the detailed design and construction of the Permanent Outdoor Festival Site project was approved by City Council in June 2020 through allocation of funding from Saskatchewan's Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP).

The desired outcome of this project is to develop a Feasibility Study that supports the future development of a City of Saskatoon Festival Site that is:

• centrally located and easily accessible;
• a reflection of inclusive civic values;
• respectful of community and strategic goals and growth planning; and
• is hospitable for a wide range of festivals, gatherings and everyday urban living.

Consultants from HTFC Planning & Design are leading the feasibility study on behalf of the City of Saskatoon.

The project began with nine city parks identified for consideration.  Through a process of review of the site locations, analysis of existing and potential site conditions, and consultations with the project's Steering Committee and other stakeholders, the three top sites were identified for further consideration.

Following further review and results from the Public Survey, a ranking of the three top sites was performed by the Project Team to select a preferred site and important site criteria to be included in the site concept.  A concept for the preferred site was developed and reviewed by Steering Committee members, stakeholders and various technical support groups. Once approved, the concept progressed to the development of a business case and a final report for City Council's consideration.

All proposed sites were assessed based on several important factors, including:

• site capacity: in festival/event use;
• ease of festival/event set-up, roadway access for equipment, access to stage/vendor locations, etc.;
• ease of access for emergency services, multiple routes and access points to the site;
• perimeter security: ability to provide effective crowd control and protection;
• high value for investment: feasibility of improving the site;
• site expansion opportunities: potential for expansion into nearby parks or streets if needed;
• possible negative neighbourhood impacts: parking conflicts, noise concerns, or lack of access to public park space during festivals/events, etc.; and
• possible positive neighbourhood impacts: improve the access to public park space, increase transit connectivity, increase customer traffic to local businesses, etc.

The proposed sites were also reviewed for ease of access to the following amenities and conditions within a 10 minute walk:

• links to the future Bus Rapid Transit lines, as well as existing and future transit stops;
• connection to the Meewasin trails;
• bridge crossings;
• public parking (on-street parking and pay lots);
• accommodations, including the number of rooms through hotels and commercial short-term units for accommodations.