Quote:
Originally Posted by Frequitude
The big question I would like Ken King to answer is:
Assuming the Flames $450M contribution represents the approximate cost of a new event centre, why do you think it is fair for the taxpayer to foot the bill on upgrading the fieldhouse to a CFL stadium?
Or, if you want to play the CRL creates tax revenues that wouldn't exist otherwise card, why do you think it is fair for the owners to not foot the bill on upgrading a fieldhouse to a CFL stadium for the CFL team that they own, will sell tickets for and profit from?
Foot that bill themselves and use the CRL to fix the roads, and you'll have my overwhelming support. Until then I don't really feel strongly one way or the other if they ever break groud.
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So what you're effectively saying is that Edmonton got public funding for the arena, but Calgary shouldn't.
Edmonton got $200M towards the arena through a CRL, why would Calgary not get access to a similar amount of money?
So, even if the additional $200M (on-top of the CRL) for the fieldhouse doesn't fly, which means the Stamps don't get a new home - and the city doesn't get the fieldhouse facility itself - there is still very recent history to draw upon that shows the Flames will get $200M of tax payers money, and that's not towards infrastructure changes, that's towards the building itself.
So, scratch the fieldhouse, and let's use exactly how Edmonton's arena deal is structured:
Flames ownership: $130M
Ticket surcharge: $125M
Contribution from the City through a CRL: $200M
There, the Flames now have a new arena.
Now it becomes a conversation about location. If not the West Village, then where? The outskirts of the city? No thanks, bad for most of the public and bad for business.