Plans for a city owned trade and convention centre, originally combined with sports (arena, stadium) facilities, had been considered for a number of years. A plebiscite asking if the city should spend $14 million ($ million today) on land and construction of a downtown sports and convention complex was rejected by voters in 1963. Edmonton citizens voted in favour of a $23 million proposal ($ million today) in the 1968 Convention and Sports Complex plebiscite, but voted against the revised $34 million ($ million today) funding request in the 1970 Omniplex project plebiscite. The area on Grierson Hill where the Centre now resides had a coal mine operation from 1892 to 1893, one of a number along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River near the turn of the century.