Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel "sent a formal letter Wednesday morning to Oilers owner Daryl Katz, inviting him or his representative to speak to city council" about the team's proposed downtown arena project, according to Elise Stolte of the EDMONTON JOURNAL. Mandel said that discussing the arena in public with all city council members "will allow both parties to better understand the other’s position." He added that the Edmonton City Council is "committed to the October 2011 arena agreement and if Katz wants to propose changes, he should do it in a public setting." Mandel: “If there’s problems with whatever he’s looking at, he needs to come forward and bring evidence to city council and to the citizens of Edmonton to show there needs to be a change to it." Mandel said of what it would mean if Katz does not respond, “Then that makes a statement, doesn’t it?” (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 9/20). A Katz Group spokesperson in an e-mail wrote the company was "aware of Mandel's request." The GLOBE & MAIL's Dean Bennet writes the "standoff" has put the C$475M arena project "in limbo." Mandel's invitation to the Katz Group is meant for the Oilers ownership to "spell out in detail in a full public council meeting what it wants." Mandel: "I think everybody’s frustrated. Everybody wants to see us move ahead with this within the parameters of something reasonable for everybody" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/20).
