Quote:
Originally Posted by RM14
I don't think there are very many Calgarians who have never used the Saddledome. It would probably be the most widely used building in the city in the sense that most people have had one reason or another to use it. Whether it's figure skating, concerts, the wiggles (haha)... I was biking by the dome a few weeks ago and thousands of people were coming our with gift bags all dressed up, looked like some kind of Amway/religious gathering. The Dalai Lama came a few years ago even!
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Sure a lot of people probably do use the Dome and I bet the vast vast majority of Calgarians are satisfied with their experience. But they all almost universally pay to get through the door. That being said surely to god if Maple Leaf Gardens was able to satisfy the hordes in Toronto for 67 years the Saddledome should have at least a 60 year shelf life in Calgary. In terms of functionality this is a question for the 2035 City Council.
Basically as far as I can tell the argument for a new building goes something like this. The owners cannot make enough money off the old building so a new building must be built. The new building should be paid for in large part by the taxpayer because allegedly private business cannot make money off of an arena. There is no public use argument for building a new arena because there is an existing old arena that is perfectly functional for the vast vast majority of events that are currently held at it (slight exception being the odd concert that Calgary does not get).
If Calgary did not have an arena or had an arena that was 70 years old sure, world class cities need an arena. But the Flames have an arena that is more than functional for the purposes that it is used for.