Some random thoughts:
- The Saddledome has a size and a seating configuration that will be better for the olympics compared to what the Flames would ideally want in their own arena. There's not a lot of sunk costs on the proposed Olympic plans for the Dome. They are more-or-less budgeting to take over the major capital maintenance items for the arena, and have some minor things to change to meet IOC requirements and the para-olympics.
- I see the McMahon reno as all-out gift to CSEC. If you wrote a long list of things that the building needs right now to properly do it's job but is not feasible for the team to fund, well it's pretty much on the Olympic proposal. Now... whether this is a smart capital investment compared to a new building, I'm not so sure.. but I think there's a strategic reason for proposing a renovation instead of a new facility.
- There's a lot of press coming from the IOC about the "New Norm" approach and the need to have "sustainable" olympics that re-uses venues, and is not a generational financial burden with wasted construction spending. Along with the IOC's public encouragement for Calgary to stay in the bidding process I think came guidance that they want to see a proposal with as much re-use as possible. For better or worse, I think pigs with frosted lips are en-vogue for the IOC right now.
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