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Post by ekjet72 on Apr 26, 2023 21:36:50 GMT -6
The Flames have been wanting a new arena for a decade. It's funny in the sense that even though the Saddledome turns 40 this year, and I guess the team is just trying to compete with other markets (I really don't think the Saddledome is that bad), what Calgary DESPERATELY needs is a new stadium. McMahon Stadium is, by far, the worst stadium in the CFL. It was built in the 50s, and is woefully inadequate. Considering how much money the city had, one wonder why they have not constructed a 40,000 seat stadium the way smaller cities like Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Ottawa have. Even Vancouver and Montreal have upgraded their respective stadiums. with regard to the arena. There is a lot of water under the bridge that was foul to be sure. And now we have an election and Premier Smith is throwing bucks at anything that will get her a few votes. Interestingly she was against public tax dollars for Edmonton's Rogers Center in 2012. Now she's all in with a 800M ante. The owners are getting a big break in this versions compared to last deal. And guess what? No details till after the election. She could walk away after May 29th. McMahon stadium is the worst, couldn't agree more. But the real problem is fan attendance. Season ticket holders are down 25%. Count me in that group. I was in a row of 25 and the wife and I were the only 2 STH. It was barren there in some of the best seats. Row 25 on the 45 yard line. Bad attendance begets more bad problems with attendance. We bailed as STH, it was no fun. There will be no talk of a new stadium unless the fan numbers recover. Ironically the club and the CFL were in dire straights, in the 1990s. Loans from the NFL were needed. The city's population census was only 7-800K and we had sold out games. Now 15 to 20,000 attend games and that's being charitable. That's why they're putting tarps over the empty sections to crowd fans together. Oh BTW the average age of Calgary fans well over 50. Less younguns in the crowd!
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Post by iceland2018 on Apr 27, 2023 7:43:12 GMT -6
The Flames have been wanting a new arena for a decade. It's funny in the sense that even though the Saddledome turns 40 this year, and I guess the team is just trying to compete with other markets (I really don't think the Saddledome is that bad), what Calgary DESPERATELY needs is a new stadium. McMahon Stadium is, by far, the worst stadium in the CFL. It was built in the 50s, and is woefully inadequate. Considering how much money the city had, one wonder why they have not constructed a 40,000 seat stadium the way smaller cities like Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Ottawa have. Even Vancouver and Montreal have upgraded their respective stadiums. with regard to the arena. There is a lot of water under the bridge that was foul to be sure. And now we have an election and Premier Smith is throwing bucks at anything that will get her a few votes. Interestingly she was against public tax dollars for Edmonton's Rogers Center in 2012. Now she's all in with a 800M ante. The owners are getting a big break in this versions compared to last deal. And guess what? No details till after the election. She could walk away after May 29th. McMahon stadium is the worst, couldn't agree more. But the real problem is fan attendance. Season ticket holders are down 25%. Count me in that group. I was in a row of 25 and the wife and I were the only 2 STH. It was barren there in some of the best seats. Row 25 on the 45 yard line. Bad attendance begets more bad problems with attendance. We bailed as STH, it was no fun. There will be no talk of a new stadium unless the fan numbers recover. Ironically the club and the CFL were in dire straights, in the 1990s. Loans from the NFL were needed. The city's population census was only 7-800K and we had sold out games. Now 15 to 20,000 attend games and that's being charitable. That's why they're putting tarps over the empty sections to crowd fans together. Oh BTW the average age of Calgary fans well over 50. Less younguns in the crowd! Danielle Smith is a complete opportunist, and quite frankly, an embarrassment to Alberta. For the life of me, I cannot believe she is Premier. I'm not a big fan of the NDP, but that is who I am voting for in May, as the alternative is that much worse. As for McMahon Stadium, I disagree with attendance issues impeding the construction of an area. Hamilton never had great attendance, yet they built a new arena. Historically, Calgary and Edmonton have led the league in attendance. It's just been an issue for the past 5 years or so. I'm sure now that an arena is being built, there will be a push to get the job done. If Calgary NEXT had not fallen through a few years back, the Stampeders would have been playing near Sunalta.
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Post by mikecubs on May 30, 2023 8:06:12 GMT -6
Flames' arena dream alive after UCP election winThe United Conservative Party was able to "secure a majority government" in yesterday's Alberta election, keeping the hopes for a new NHL arena for the Flames alive in Calgary. The UCP’s "biggest pledge for Calgary came before the campaign even began," when they promised $330M to "pay for infrastructure costs needed to get the new arena deal" across the finish line. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said her government "will give final approval for that funding after the election" (CALGARY HERALD, 5/29). Smith would "still need approval from the provincial cabinet" this summer for her proposed contribution to a project, which "will take three to four years to complete." If Rachel Notley and her New Democratic Party had won yesterday, the future of the project would have been "up in the air" www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2023/05/30/calgary-flames-arena-deal-ucp-election.aspx
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Post by ekjet72 on May 31, 2023 18:51:41 GMT -6
Hah! The chances of this going through aren't 100%. Nothing was disclosed pre-election, other than the amount the government is willing to pony up, pending a further review. With the election over, certain realities may preclude further discussions on the issue. Well you never know!?
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 6, 2023 8:11:49 GMT -6
New details on Calgary arena deal emerge as final agreement expected to arrive later this summer Calgary won't receive any revenue from naming rights for the new arena, or from a ticket surcharge, officials confirmedA definitive agreement for Calgary’s $1.22-billion arena deal is expected to be finalized this summer, as parties continue to negotiate terms of the project. The top-level terms of the deal aren’t expected to change, with the city fronting $537.3 million of the bill, Calgary Flames ownership covering $356 million and the province putting forward $330 million — most of which is directed to surrounding land and infrastructure costs.ew details on cost breakdowns and timelines remain scarce, however, with the city declining to provide more information while negotiations continued at a Monday meeting of council’s Event Centre Committee, the first held since the agreement in principle was announced in late April. At the time, Coun. Andre Chabot called the arena deal “as reasonable a compromise as we could have hoped for,” saying neither the city nor the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. (CSEC) got everything they wanted. “There was a lot of back-and-forth negotiations between us and all parties,” Chabot said. “I can’t get into the details on what we would have preferred and what some of the pushback was, but what I can say is we have a very predictable annual return that would have been volatile under the old agreement.” Most upfront costs shouldered by city Though few new details were unveiled Monday, the update did bring clarity on some aspects of the deal. Calgary will be on the hook for the vast majority of upfront costs needed to build the arena and surrounding facilities at 14th Avenue and 5th Street S.E. The arena itself costs $800 million, while additional construction on that block — a parkade, a community ice rink, and indoor and outside plazas — drive costs to $924.4 million. Flames ownership will pay $40 million upfront, and will pay the city $17 million annually plus a compounded one per cent over a 35-year lease. The province will fund $55.1 million for the community rink and plaza space. That leaves the city’s up-front costs at $831.3 million. That will be funded by a combination of the money earmarked for the previous failed arena deal, reserve funds and working capital the city will have access to during the construction period. Coun. Sonya Sharp said that means the city won’t take on debt or raise taxes to fund the project, and said CSEC’s adjusted payments to the city over the course of the deal are calculated at nearly $750 million. Any cost overruns will be split 50-50 between the city and CSEC. The city will pay for all “major structural repairs,” while operating costs and maintenance of the arena is CSEC’s responsibility. City officials also said contingency costs are built into the agreement, but couldn’t say how much was allocated. The CSEC lease is also slated to stipulate that the Flames will remain in Calgary during the 35-year term. The city would continue operating the building after that lease ends. City won’t get ticket surcharge, naming rights revenue Officials confirmed Calgary won’t receive revenue from naming rights for the new arena, or from a ticket surcharge. The city initially wouldn’t discuss those aspects of the deal when it was first announced, but added those details to its website in the weeks after. The lack of revenue from naming rights represents a loss for the city when compared to the previous deal. But officials say the Flames’ $17-million annual payment consolidates those revenue streams into consistent cash for the city. Sharp defended Calgary’s lack of direct revenue streams in the deal. “The city isn’t in the business of making a profit on any city-owned building. You can look at that within the Green Line, the LRT, libraries,” Sharp said. “This is a public building. It is owned by the city and we have private investment supporting it.” Calgary will sell four commercial parcels of land around the arena at market value, and will receive property tax from those developments. CSEC has first right of refusal on those parcels. Questions remain on timing, with provincial green-light needed Sharp said a timeline on construction and completion of the project is expected after definitive agreements are signed and the province approves its $330-million contribution, $300 million of which is earmarked for infrastructure costs, including the demolition of the Saddledome. The province’s treasury board must approve that spending by August, though it’s unclear when they may meet to do so. Premier Danielle Smith has yet to appoint a provincial cabinet after leading her UCP to re-election last week. One step will be taken Monday, when the city says it will post a request for proposal for a development manager for the event centre and neighbouring facilities. calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-arena-deal-new-details-emerge
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 6, 2023 8:13:37 GMT -6
This is a pretty bad deal these agreements usually are around 50-50% public private but at least they did get a 35 year lease rather than the usual 30 year lease.
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Post by ekjet72 on Jun 6, 2023 8:49:22 GMT -6
This is a pretty bad deal these agreements usually are around 50-50% public private but at least they did get a 35 year lease rather than the usual 30 year lease. As a Calgarian I agree. Gave away 10 sq km of land, naming rights and property taxes. The hope is business attracted will be taxed and provide money for the city's coffers. Much of this growth in business will be small mom and pop businesses like bars. But they will be attracted from current sports bars that are in a different area of town. So a net increase in taxes or employment won't happen. With the new arena the winners are the owners and players. All this because the owners threatened to use the sword of Damocles. Calgary flinched and bought in. Oh BTW it failed to provide the government votes in Calgary in provincial election last month.
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Post by ekjet72 on Jun 9, 2023 7:57:10 GMT -6
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Post by mikecubs on Oct 13, 2023 1:40:56 GMT -6
Flames to break ground on new $584M arena in '24Ten days before the 40th anniversary of the Saddledome opening, the Calgary Flames announced on Thursday that they have finalized an agreement with the City of Calgary, the Calgary Stampede and the Alberta provincial government to build a new arena.Construction is slated to begin next year on the new arena adjacent to the Saddledome, which will cost $800 million Canadian ($584 million U.S.) and is expected to be ready for the 2026-27 season. As part of the new arena deal, the Flames have a 35-year commitment to remain in Calgary. Renderings of the arena haven't been made available, and there's no timeline for those to be revealed. Along with the new arena, the $1.22 billion ($875 million U.S.) project includes a community rink, additional parking, street-level enhancements around the building, and transportation and infrastructure improvements in the area. The Flames will be on the hook for $356 million ($260 million U.S.). The Alberta provincial government will put up $330 million ($240 million U.S.), while the City of Calgary ($537 million or $391 million U.S.) will cover the rest of the costs, including any overruns. Once the new arena -- which will seat 18,000 to 18,400 fans -- is finished, the 19,289-seat Saddledome will be demolished.According to Alberta transportation minister Devin Dreeshen, the government's contribution will also go toward improving infrastructure around the new arena and help fund the community rink. The Saddledome, which has been the Flames' home since Oct. 15, 1983, also hosted multiple events at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Last renovated in 1994 at a cost of $37 million ($27 million U.S.), it's also the NHL's second-oldest arena, trailing only Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968. africa.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/38578519/flames-break-ground-new-584m-arena-24
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 8, 2024 5:18:38 GMT -6
What’s happening with the Calgary Flames’ new arena?The Calgary Flames played their final game of the 2023-24 season back on Apr. 18. Since then, everyone’s attention has drifted to the ongoing Stanley Cup playoffs and the Flames’ preparations for the many, many draft selections they have available in the 2024 NHL Draft at the end of June. But one question has kept coming up over the last while: so what’s happening with the new arena? Over the next few days, we’ll be providing some updates on the arena project, its progress and its importance – and we chatted with a few key figures about micro and macro aspects of things. And while there have yet to be major public pronouncements of what’s happening, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes – think of it like a duck; it looks like not much is happening on the surface, but their legs are moving very quickly to keep things moving along. Here’s a quick snapshot of where things are at. There are four different applications in the City’s system Right now, there are four different applications related to the arena (or “event centre” in City Hall parlance) in the City’s development permit system: Two are land use re-designations to close off 5th Street and 13th Avenue so they can be incorporated into the larger lot. One is a development permit for excavation and grading – digging the hole for the arena. One is a development permit for shoring – putting up temporary walls to keep the hole intact as they start to build the arena. All four are currently “under review,” per the City’s system. Work continues on consolidating the full 10 acre lot where the arena’s going to go, but they can’t really create the full lot until the land use re-designations get approved and they’re able to close off the two roads. There will be a fifth application for the building itself Last Monday, arena designs and preliminary work on the development application for the arena itself were shown to the event centre committee at City Hall “in camera” – a confidential briefing. A similar briefing was given to the planning commission on Thursday morning, with the aim being to get some guidance on anything that needed to be tweaked prior to the full submission. Event centre committee chair Sonya Sharp discussed how things were progressing after the committee meeting (via LiveWire Calgary’s Darren Krause): She expected they’ll see something in mid-June for return to the Event Centre Committee, with a development permit potentially issued in early July. It’s around that time when Calgarians will see designs. “ We want to be able to say that we’re breaking ground summer 2024. That is the momentum we have to hit.” We’ll likely see renderings and designs revealed sometime in June or JulyThis is the single most common question we’ve gotten, so we’ll repeat: we’ll likely see renderings and designs of the new building revealed in June or July. We haven’t been given any hints from anybody on how things will look. The various arena contracts mentioned adapting the previous design – which was for a 7.2 acre lot and didn’t involve a community rink – for the 10 acre lot, but it’s unclear how much the previous exterior will change. We’ll find out, soon, though. In June or July. If everything keeps progressing, work could begin after Stampede The Cowboys tent will be on the arena lot during the Stampede, and it’ll take a bit of time to clear out. But if the dominoes keep toppling with the applications that have been submitted for the project – the roads are able to be closed, the lot can be consolidated and they’re given the green light to do the excavation and shoring – then we could see work on the building begin after the Stampede.City council goes on their summer recess in August, so our guess is they’ll be trying to get something done before the end of July. Based on how long similar builds have taken, they’re aiming for 2027 completionBuilding an arena in a climate where the ground freezes usually takes two full construction seasons. If they’re able to get the excavation and shoring done before the winter, essentially digging out the foundation before the ground freezes, that’ll definitely help things move along. But history suggests, even if that gets done, we shouldn’t expect the arena to be done prior to 2027. (The City’s recent annual financial report says “Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in 2024 and take approximately three years.”) In an ideal world, and based on their planning for the 2021 version of things, the aim is likely to have the building done for May or June 2027 handover to the Flames, and then they can work the operational kinks out over the summer before the NHL season begins in October. We usually don’t live in an ideal world so we’ll see how that works out, but that’s the general shape of things. In the meantime, a likely construction reprieve during the 2024 Stampede If you’ve been anywhere near the Saddledome lately, you’re aware that it’s a flurry of construction activity. Well, good news, that’s mostly going to stop… for a little bit. The BMO Centre expansion is opening in June. The 17th Avenue extension – bringing the road right into Stampede Park – is also expected to open in June. The revamped Victoria Park LRT station? Also June. Things will start up again after the Stampede, particularly in terms of arena activity on the north end of Stampede Park, but a lot of the lengthy projects that we’ve patiently waiting to see finished will be unveiled over the summer. flamesnation.ca/news/so-whats-happening-with-the-calgary-flames-new-arena
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Post by 2b9 on Jun 8, 2024 8:53:02 GMT -6
What’s happening with the Calgary Flames’ new arena?The Calgary Flames played their final game of the 2023-24 season back on Apr. 18. Since then, everyone’s attention has drifted to the ongoing Stanley Cup playoffs and the Flames’ preparations for the many, many draft selections they have available in the 2024 NHL Draft at the end of June. But one question has kept coming up over the last while: so what’s happening with the new arena? Over the next few days, we’ll be providing some updates on the arena project, its progress and its importance – and we chatted with a few key figures about micro and macro aspects of things. And while there have yet to be major public pronouncements of what’s happening, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes – think of it like a duck; it looks like not much is happening on the surface, but their legs are moving very quickly to keep things moving along. Here’s a quick snapshot of where things are at. There are four different applications in the City’s system Right now, there are four different applications related to the arena (or “event centre” in City Hall parlance) in the City’s development permit system: Two are land use re-designations to close off 5th Street and 13th Avenue so they can be incorporated into the larger lot. One is a development permit for excavation and grading – digging the hole for the arena. One is a development permit for shoring – putting up temporary walls to keep the hole intact as they start to build the arena. All four are currently “under review,” per the City’s system. Work continues on consolidating the full 10 acre lot where the arena’s going to go, but they can’t really create the full lot until the land use re-designations get approved and they’re able to close off the two roads. There will be a fifth application for the building itself Last Monday, arena designs and preliminary work on the development application for the arena itself were shown to the event centre committee at City Hall “in camera” – a confidential briefing. A similar briefing was given to the planning commission on Thursday morning, with the aim being to get some guidance on anything that needed to be tweaked prior to the full submission. Event centre committee chair Sonya Sharp discussed how things were progressing after the committee meeting (via LiveWire Calgary’s Darren Krause): She expected they’ll see something in mid-June for return to the Event Centre Committee, with a development permit potentially issued in early July. It’s around that time when Calgarians will see designs. “ We want to be able to say that we’re breaking ground summer 2024. That is the momentum we have to hit.” We’ll likely see renderings and designs revealed sometime in June or JulyThis is the single most common question we’ve gotten, so we’ll repeat: we’ll likely see renderings and designs of the new building revealed in June or July. We haven’t been given any hints from anybody on how things will look. The various arena contracts mentioned adapting the previous design – which was for a 7.2 acre lot and didn’t involve a community rink – for the 10 acre lot, but it’s unclear how much the previous exterior will change. We’ll find out, soon, though. In June or July. If everything keeps progressing, work could begin after Stampede The Cowboys tent will be on the arena lot during the Stampede, and it’ll take a bit of time to clear out. But if the dominoes keep toppling with the applications that have been submitted for the project – the roads are able to be closed, the lot can be consolidated and they’re given the green light to do the excavation and shoring – then we could see work on the building begin after the Stampede.City council goes on their summer recess in August, so our guess is they’ll be trying to get something done before the end of July. Based on how long similar builds have taken, they’re aiming for 2027 completionBuilding an arena in a climate where the ground freezes usually takes two full construction seasons. If they’re able to get the excavation and shoring done before the winter, essentially digging out the foundation before the ground freezes, that’ll definitely help things move along. But history suggests, even if that gets done, we shouldn’t expect the arena to be done prior to 2027. (The City’s recent annual financial report says “Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in 2024 and take approximately three years.”) In an ideal world, and based on their planning for the 2021 version of things, the aim is likely to have the building done for May or June 2027 handover to the Flames, and then they can work the operational kinks out over the summer before the NHL season begins in October. We usually don’t live in an ideal world so we’ll see how that works out, but that’s the general shape of things. In the meantime, a likely construction reprieve during the 2024 Stampede If you’ve been anywhere near the Saddledome lately, you’re aware that it’s a flurry of construction activity. Well, good news, that’s mostly going to stop… for a little bit. The BMO Centre expansion is opening in June. The 17th Avenue extension – bringing the road right into Stampede Park – is also expected to open in June. The revamped Victoria Park LRT station? Also June. Things will start up again after the Stampede, particularly in terms of arena activity on the north end of Stampede Park, but a lot of the lengthy projects that we’ve patiently waiting to see finished will be unveiled over the summer. flamesnation.ca/news/so-whats-happening-with-the-calgary-flames-new-arena It’s about time that they finally get this done. It’s too bad that a new Football Stadium for the Stampeder’s/CFL Team isn’t part of this, their Stadium is decrepit. Cheers, 2b9😉😃👍
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Post by ekjet72 on Jun 8, 2024 17:22:48 GMT -6
Mike, it is fantastic to get these updates from you. I learn more about what's happening with the arena from you than I do from the media here in Calgary.
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Post by 2b9 on Jun 9, 2024 8:49:29 GMT -6
Mike, it is fantastic to get these updates from you. I learn more about what's happening with the arena from you than I do from the media here in Calgary. Yep, Mike is very informative, Mike always has his fingers on the pulse of things of this nature/magnitude. Cheers, 2b9😉😃👍
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 9, 2024 16:39:10 GMT -6
Mike, it is fantastic to get these updates from you. I learn more about what's happening with the arena from you than I do from the media here in Calgary. Thank you. In all my following of stadium/arena news stuff I think the worst coverage in any city in the US or Canada is in Calgary. It's almost like they are unaware of a potential new arena. LOL
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 9, 2024 16:43:26 GMT -6
Mike, it is fantastic to get these updates from you. I learn more about what's happening with the arena from you than I do from the media here in Calgary. Yep, Mike is very informative, Mike always has his fingers on the pulse of things of this nature/magnitude. Cheers, 2b9😉😃👍 Thank you
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