Quote:
Originally Posted by Zarley
Not when you actually get into the numbers. New arena at Stampede - $450 million private dollars, same as CalgaryNEXT.
Based on comparable projects and input from cost consultants, the cost to bring McMahon to a modern standard is not really feasible. The stadium is in need of the following:
- Seats throughout ($10 million or so based on Commonwealth seat replacement)
- Some type of roof covering a portion of the stands. ($55 million to put in place at BMO).
- A climate controlled concourse that is double the square footage of the current one (the current concourse is built for a stadium of 22,000). If you do this, you still have to contend with the tight column spacing for the upper stand supports. (There is no precedent for this exact project, but interior renovations to BC Place, which were cosmetic in nature, were completed in 2009 at a cost of $65 million. Obviously, McMahon concourse renovations would cost more.)
- Expanded corporate box seating. It would be best to have a ring of suites midway up the stands and a second deck cantilevered over these, but this would require demolition of the existing upper stands. A very costly endeavour.
- Plus the cost to host games at a temporary stadium during the renovation ($15 million for Empire Field).
- Added costs resultant from any unpleasant surprises uncovered during the renovation.
So approximately $150-200 million or higher in total and we're still left with a stadium that isn't particularly outstanding, can't host events in the winter, and isn't in a great location. Based on what's happened in every other Canadian city, the majority of this is going to be publicly funded as well.
So add an additional $200 million public dollars for a standalone fieldhouse.
At the end of the day, under your plan we are spending $350-400 million in public funds to extend the life of an aging stadium for an additional 20 years and build a fieldhouse while doing nothing to solve the blight in the West Village area. This doesn't take advantage of any of the synergies or economies of scale that arise from building a combined facility - which only makes sense to do when we have two complimentary use buildings that are reaching replacement age.
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What you want here is your dream stadium. What is really needed and would be acceptable can be done for far less than that. The half roof? Waste of money, not needed. The climate controlled concourse is not necessary and isn't worth it from a cost/benefit. Expanded corporate boxes? No way, I seriously doubt there's demand for more corporate boxes, or that it's effecting their earning potential, unlike the Flames. So right there I've already chopped your budget in half, and the stadium experience still improves a lot. Might not be your dream stadium, but a 2nd rate league doesn't deserve dream stadium status.