Post by mikecubs on Aug 12, 2015 21:17:41 GMT -6
Flames "CalgaryNEXT" project to be unveiled
The Calgary Flames are set to unveil CalgaryNEXT on Tuesday, fuelling speculation the city is about to get a first glimpse at new arena plans.
A source with knowledge of the project who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the proposal calls for a new arena to be built for the Flames along with a stadium-fieldhouse to be shared by the Calgary Stampeders and the public, slated to go in the west end of downtown.
The source said the plan calls for the Flames organization — which also owns the Stampeders — to finance the arena themselves and they will ask for “in the range of $200 million” from the city toward the fieldhouse, which would be open to the public on days it’s not being used by the football club.
The city already has plans to build a $200 million fieldhouse as part of the Foothills Athletic Park redevelopment, however that is currently unfunded.
One issue which will have to be sorted before any development can proceed in the west end of downtown is how to remediate extensive environmental damage — estimated to cost in the neighbourhood of $1 billion — as the area was home to a Creosote Canada plant for several decades.
Testing has shown high levels of creosote in the ground as well as in and under the Bow River.
In a letter penned and signed by president and CEO Ken King — screenshots of which are making the rounds on social media and local blogs — he said the project dubbed CalgaryNext has the potential to be one of this city’s “most transformative projects.”
“This is not a formal launch of the project,” he wrote.
“But it is an opportunity for us to share what has been done to date and introduce our vision for the future.”
The Flames ownership group has long expressed a desire for a new arena but to date they’ve held the plans close to their chests.
King met with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to go over the plans in the spring, however no proposal was put on the table at that time.
Sources confirmed an earlier report the Flames are eyeing the West Village area next to downtown for the proposed arena-stadium-fieldhouse complex, which is currently home to the Greyhound bus station and a pair of car dealerships.
The Flames are holding an information session for season ticket holders on Aug. 18 “to present high level scope of the project,” and will be updating the media on the same day.
www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/12/flames-calgarynext-project-to-be-unveiled
The Calgary Flames are set to unveil CalgaryNEXT on Tuesday, fuelling speculation the city is about to get a first glimpse at new arena plans.
A source with knowledge of the project who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the proposal calls for a new arena to be built for the Flames along with a stadium-fieldhouse to be shared by the Calgary Stampeders and the public, slated to go in the west end of downtown.
The source said the plan calls for the Flames organization — which also owns the Stampeders — to finance the arena themselves and they will ask for “in the range of $200 million” from the city toward the fieldhouse, which would be open to the public on days it’s not being used by the football club.
The city already has plans to build a $200 million fieldhouse as part of the Foothills Athletic Park redevelopment, however that is currently unfunded.
One issue which will have to be sorted before any development can proceed in the west end of downtown is how to remediate extensive environmental damage — estimated to cost in the neighbourhood of $1 billion — as the area was home to a Creosote Canada plant for several decades.
Testing has shown high levels of creosote in the ground as well as in and under the Bow River.
In a letter penned and signed by president and CEO Ken King — screenshots of which are making the rounds on social media and local blogs — he said the project dubbed CalgaryNext has the potential to be one of this city’s “most transformative projects.”
“This is not a formal launch of the project,” he wrote.
“But it is an opportunity for us to share what has been done to date and introduce our vision for the future.”
The Flames ownership group has long expressed a desire for a new arena but to date they’ve held the plans close to their chests.
King met with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to go over the plans in the spring, however no proposal was put on the table at that time.
Sources confirmed an earlier report the Flames are eyeing the West Village area next to downtown for the proposed arena-stadium-fieldhouse complex, which is currently home to the Greyhound bus station and a pair of car dealerships.
The Flames are holding an information session for season ticket holders on Aug. 18 “to present high level scope of the project,” and will be updating the media on the same day.
www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/12/flames-calgarynext-project-to-be-unveiled