The Aud

[westwardloo]

I'll mention it one last time that the old transportation centre is way too small for an arena. Please read the factors:

1. Accessible parking. There would be absolutely none. London, for example, has a lot of this type of parking.
2. No room close by for prospective clients (that is, shows like Paw Patrol or Baby Shark). Many of these events house their performers and support staff in trailers and busses on site. Also trade shows and animal shows (like the Kennel Club) would need to find a new place to go -- and it won't be in Kitchener. Again, with London, this isn't an issue. In Hamilton, this is a major issue. And one reason why they have so few events there. Interesting fact: Flanigans used to have a trade show at The Aud, they moved over to Lot 42, but for whatever reason, they're back at The Aud this year. No idea why, but it seems that The Aud is a better location.
3. No parking for staff. This is a huge issue. You have a lot of staff at The Aud on event nights and days. Someone starting for a 4-8 hour shift doesn't want to pay for parking at all. The wages are low enough as it is. It would also be an issue for non-management FT staff. No one wants to lose $2,400 a year after tax to go to work. Though a solution would be to have a special pay rate for these workers. It would also be an issue for Ranger staff and players and likely the Titans as well. You got to keep in mind what the tenants might want.
4. Transit isn't an answer. Staff starts work by 6 at the latest or before 6, and finish at midnight or beyond. This is typical. GRT is 100% useless for just about everyone during those times. It's also not an answer for on-call staff, nor is parking potentially blocks away <--- this is kind of important if there is an issue with the plant.
5. Less tournaments and less rentals. That goes without saying, you have a lot of tourneys at The Aud and it's not likely that this would follow to a downtown location simply due to practicality. No one wants to lug around huge bags of sports equipment from D&O garage or wherever to where the old terminal is. And it's not like simple rentals make huge cash for the city, they don't, but something is better than nothing, and nothing is worse than an empty auditorium.

You raise good points on potential issued with a downtown arena on the terminal site. But none of those issues can't be resolved by expert consultants. Off the top of my head...

1. Accessible parking is definitely #1 on the list that will be required to provide. If you add the old post office site there is more than enough room for a small parking lot to be added. 
2. Not an issue. These shows will find a way to perform at a downtown arena as it make business sense for them. There are plenty of downtown arena across north america that draw these types of shows/concert without having a large surface parking lot to park the tour bus at. There will obviously be loading bays for acts to unload equipment, but after that they can drive and park somewhere else until it is time to pack up.  
3. It has been mentioned mutilple times that there is a plethora of city parking garages in the downtown core for staff to park. I am sure they can work something out with the city to get a cheap rate. the new charles st. garage is less than 200m away, Duke st is just over 200m away, city hall is 200m away, not to mention all the surface parking lots in the downtown core.
4. Transit can be the answer to some people that live on the LRT line the Last LRT runs until past 1am. 
5. I think the obvious answer is that either the icepads remain at the aud land or 2 or more new icepads are built, probable somewhere in the city with ample parking for all those hockey tournaments.
 
I will say your google images are not complete accurate in terms of scale. You need to use mymaps to understand the size of the sites. See attached areas of the charles st site compared to london, guelph and toronto. I do think that joseph st needs to be to straightened out eating up a sliver of Victoria park and the parking lot across from the terminal. this would allow the site to have a bit more depth.

[attachment=6739]
[attachment=6740]
[attachment=6741]
[attachment=6742]

Obviously there are issues with the bus terminal site, but nothing that is completely stopping it from being built there. I should note, I would be fine if they just rebuilt on the aud land, but i would want them to build a parking garage and add a mixed use development to the rest of the site.