The city wants the arena downtown because of the somewhat redevelopment going on down there with new condos being built and trying to get tourists down here, and finally, trying to make it accessible for the majority of the city's population living in the old city (around 250k I think).
What city council doesn't realize is that the area around FOC is not the safest, and if you live in the old city like me, is also not the place where you won't be able to go without at least one encounter.
Even though I live around 15 minutes away from the arena, I still take a taxi to get home. When walking to the arena to get to the game, usually I'll come across drunkards, people engaging in a drug deal, the unfortunate saying "hey can you spare some change?", people walking up to you just to say dumb stuff, and sometimes people who look like they're about to jump you.
City Council wants the new arena to be in Downtown, but... the problems that may already prevent fans from actually going to the games are still there. There would still be attendance issues. No one wants to go out when they feel like they're unsafe. The new arena being in Downtown is basically the same FOC except smaller and will last longer.
Well what about Limeridge? That area is safe because it's mostly residential, and relatively inaccessible for the average clown you'll see near FOC. It's more accessible for people on the mountain, and in turn, the people on the mountain are wealthier compared to the people in the old city. Wealthier = more tickets bought.
Look, take it from me. I live down in the old city. There's places that are run down. There's places where you don't feel safe. There's places that you'll just stay away from. Crime has gone up in the past year. Not a safe environment for the players if you ask me. The mountain, in turn, is a lot more safer and a lot more prettier. Unless you have ties to the Italian Mafia, you have a much lower chance of being jumped or attacked living on the mountain compared to the old city.
City Council would rather add to the problem than to fix it. Andlauer knows how to get stuff done. If City Council really wants the arena to be downtown, maybe they should work on making it a safer place for the players and spectators alike.
And if the arena gets built on the mountain and you live in the old city? Yeah, tough luck for you (unless you drive or take the bus), but it is what it is. The Bulldogs are going to want to play in an area where the people are wealthy and can afford season tickets, not in an area where the average person is barely holding on to life.