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Saskatoon needs to start thinking now about a new downtown arena, two city councillors say.

Coun. Troy Davies, who sits on the SaskTel Centre board, wants the city’s politicians and administrators to turn their attention to a downtown arena rather than considering renovations to the 28-year-old facility in the city’s north end.

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Coun. Pat Lorje agrees it’s time to start the conversation, but Coun. Mairin Loewen says council lacks the information to decide whether a replacement for the arena is needed or viable.

“We should start looking at this right now,” Davies said in an interview Friday. “You bring (an arena) back downtown, you’re going to rejuvenate the downtown.”

Davies said building a new arena downtown would help address several issues council is considering, like increasing downtown density and improving transit.

As a member of the SaskTel Centre board, he said he’s concerned about losing big revenue-generating concerts to other cities with newer facilities.