[getbak]

At the Fan Forum on Monday, King didn't say much about the arena project, and nothing new about it. He did repeat what he has said before that there won't be big arguments over public money.

It's always a carefully worded statement where he doesn't say, "we won't be asking for public money", just that there won't be big debates over public money.

I've always interpreted this as meaning that any proposed public money for the project will be packaged with the caveat that the money will need to be spent no matter what is built on the land. Things like the environmental remediation; re-routing westbound Bow Trail; and re-working the Bow-14th Street interchange are all big-money projects that will need to be completed before anything can be done with the land.

Then, there's also the cost of the fieldhouse, which is budgeted at $200 million (for the proposed one at the Foothills Athletic Park). Including that in the project creates some justification for public money without it being specifically earmarked to a new NHL arena.