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Originally Posted by Flash Walken
This notion that Calgary has a leg up on their competition because they hosted the games in 1988 is wishful thinking at this point. You're talking new ski jumps, new bobsled track, new stadium for hockey, potential new stadium for ceremonies, etc etc. Is Max Bell going to be good enough for Curling and speed skating again, or does that facility also require substantial upgrades to accommodate fan seating etc?
Having the mountains so close by is definitely a feather in the cap for a Calgary bid, but everything else will have to either undergo a costly renovation or be built completely from scratch.
Is McMahon going to host the opening and closing ceremonies again, or will that be in the Field House?
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Is it just me, or do those ovals not look much different from each other? Of course ours would need a significant aesthetic upgrade, but the facility is largely operational and usable already.
I think the advantage Calgary has in't necessarily the cost (although I think it's just logical that upgrading existing facilities would be less expensive than building new ones), it's that we are one of the few spots that actually use those facilities after the events. All of that stuff is still being used to train Canadian athletes, and still will be used long after the Olympics are gone. I think this is something unique to Calgary.
It would probably make the fieldhouse to need a retractable roof for the opening ceremonies, which obviously adds cost to that project. You could likely use Winsport for the curling/short track speed skating. I think it seats more than Max Bell and is almost brand new.