Quote:
Originally Posted by Poster
Maybe I don’t know enough but why can’t the city build an arena for the games and then charge Flames rent?
Is it because the Flames will reject that and threaten to move?
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The Flames don't want to rent anything. CSEC wants to effectively build a new neighborhood on the west side of downtown, and own the facility as well as the lucrative parking monies that come from it. I believe the original proposal was to also build a bunch of restaurants and bars, but not sure if the Flames would own the land and rent to retail.
If they were interested in only renting they would just build it next door to the Saddledome with no fuss, no muss. But they want more revenue and control over their facilities, which the Stampede has a level of control over.
This is where the E for "Entertainment" in CSEC comes into play. It's more than just hockey.