Long-winded post ahead!
I've lived in Calgary, Columbus, and now DC (among other cities) and I think that the Flames picked the wrong location. I've experienced two of the model stadiums for changing a neighbourhood for the better.
Arena District - Columbus
Nationwide Insurance (Nationwide Real Estate) purchased the old and dilapidated state pen site. A block away from Columbus' version of Macleod Trail, High Street, the arena district sits on the north edge of downtown. Its success comes largely from the fact that it helped bridge the gap between downtown and the OSU campus. The area of High Street between south campus and north downtown was a dilapidated and unsafe area that killed pedestrian and commercial traffic. Nationwide Arena, the re-emergence of the Short North, and the Cap (
http://philadelphia2050.blogspot.com...sway-caps.html) have all worked together to make High Street a pedestrian and commercially active road from campus through to downtown. The location and a plan for new urbanism in Columbus are the critical factors that lead to the Arena District's success.
The Flames have not selected a location that fits this model.
Verizon Center - DC
Even more impressive, to me at least, is Verizon Center. Built entirely with private funds, MCI Center springboarded the revitalization of Gallery Place in DC. The area had been unsafe and dead to commercial activity beyond office work and misdirected tourists. Verizon Center is built on top of Gallery Place metro, which is serviced by three lines, including the critical red line. Its location was critical in that many office workers were in the area, but left for home immediately after work. The introduction of Verizon Center spurred bars and restaurants to come to the neighbourhood. It is now one of the busiest all-hours areas of the city.
The location was one with thousands of workers and multiple metro stops, but nothing for them to do after work. Again, not a location that the Flames have picked.
Beyond locations, one other aspect unifies these two arenas: they are built at street level with no set back from the sidewalk. They integrate into the street as any other building and have commercial rental space on the street level.
In comparison, the Flames have picked a questionable site and have proposed a design that creates a non-integrated, offset monolith. I highly doubt it would successfully revitalize the location.