[News] Calgary Herald: Flames stay mum on timeline, location for new arena

[getbak]

Seems more like a slow news day story than anything else, but it's the top story on the Herald's website, and we haven't had an active thread on the Flames' arena plans for a while.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...420/story.html

With the lease on the Scotiabank Saddledome set to run out in 2014 after more than three decades of hockey games and concerts, speculation continues to build about the location of a new arena.

The Calgary Flames want a modern building to allow the team to compete financially with other National Hockey League franchises. Opened in 1983, the Saddledome is the league’s sixth-oldest arena and nearing the end of its life cycle as far as professional rinks go.

But as the clock ticks on Calgary’s iconic sports facility, Flames officials remain tight-lipped about when — and where — they will break ground on a new arena.

Team president and CEO Ken King said there isn’t any hurry. Although the Flames’ lease on the Saddledome will soon expire, it can be extended for as long it takes to construct a new facility.

“We certainly won’t be ready to move by 2014,” King said.

“If we dropped the flag and started building today, I don’t think we’d meet the deadline. We have an arrangement to be here as long or frankly, as short, as required.”

By my count, the Saddledome is actually the fifth oldest arena in the NHL (the Herald probably just recycled an old story from before the new arena in Pittsburgh opened). Only the Rangers, Islanders, Oilers, and Red Wings play in arenas built before 1983, and MSG will, for all intents and purposes, be a new arena in the fall of 2013.

One possibility floated on Twitter Friday describes a combined arena/stadium near the Mewata armoury with commercial space, possibly for restaurants, bars or a hotel.

Searching Twitter for any tweets containing the word "Mewata" returned this single tweet from a guy who mostly posts links to political news stories, from Victoria (https://twitter.com/AllPolitix/statu...23566305935360):

Originally Posted by David Heyman (‏@AllPolitix)

Source: #Stamps and #Flames eying old Mewata grounds for new stadium+rink+commercial project. #cfl #nhl

I don't see how the Mewata grounds would be large enough for a joint facility. If they removed and replaced the skate park, there might be enough room for an arena. McMahon in its current form wouldn't fit in the skate park footprint, and any new stadium would likely have a larger footprint.

The area west of the Mewata lands, where the Greyhound Station and GSL Chev City are currently located would be large enough for a major development that could house an NHL arena and CFL Stadium, and the land is slated for re-development at some point in the future as part of the city's "West Village" plans.

We could be waiting a long time if they're waiting for that land.

[FlyingDonutz]

We should just renovate the saddledome.. It's easily the best looking arena in the NHL.

[Yakbutter]

Originally Posted by FlyingDonutz

We should just renovate the saddledome.. It's easily the best looking arena in the NHL.

If you ever go to another NHL arena you will find the dome' leaves alot to be desired.

[Caged Great]

The Dome is right up there with Nassau in Long Island with the worst rinks in the NHL. The place is mediocre at best.

They've recently renovated a bit, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by getbak

I don't see how the Mewata grounds would be large enough for a joint facility. If they removed and replaced the skate park, there might be enough room for an arena.

The dome should fit, though it might be tight.



As for McMahon, they could probably use all those car dealership lots for it. That area looks like crap right now, and all those hobos going and doing their laundry under the bridge don't help much in terms of beautifying the place up. Maybe the Flames can help out in those matters.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

The new C-Train track goes right through the middle of where you placed the building.

Also, both the Planetarium and Armoury are historic buildings which are unlikely to be touched by any future development, especially the Armoury. The Planetarium may not be protected as strongly since it's been effectively replaced by the Spark, but there isn't really room to build anything significant on the Planetarium land.

The only part of the "Mewata" land that would be big enough for an arena is right where the skate park currently sits. Even then, it would be a tight fit between the Armoury and the C-Train.



The only space in that area that makes any sense is the land west of 14th Street, but if they're seriously looking at that land, we'll be lucky if they're playing in a new building by the end of the decade.

I do like the idea of building the two buildings together and making it a year-round destination area.

[Mass_nerder]

I think that would be a pretty excellent location...easy to get to by transit, central to everything, downtown so the corporate crowd doesn't have to do much traveling.
If the flames are looking to open more than just an arena (a fully functioning entrainment district) all of these factors could make the project very successful.
Assuming there is actually space available for what they want, the only downside I see is the insane traffic issues after games...

[killer_carlson]

They won't be taking the arena out of downtown, so McMahon is out.

I think it stays at the stampede grounds

[TurnedTheCorner]

Mewata site seems way too small IMO.

Anyway, sounds like nothing is happening on this front. Just like the last few years. Just behind the scenes stuff that is going nowhere. I'll be excited when a real announcement happens, but that may not be in my lifetime at this rate.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

As for McMahon, they could probably use all those car dealership lots for it. That area looks like crap right now, and all those hobos going and doing their laundry under the bridge don't help much in terms of beautifying the place up. Maybe the Flames can help out in those matters.

Nothing else will ever be built on those grounds - the soil is so polluted it would cost a fortune to clean it all up prior to new construction.

[Flash Walken]

Ken King over promising and under delivering.

We were supposed to have details on this what, two years ago?

I wonder what the delay is.

[Tyler]

I think its fairly obvious that the Flames aren't going to announce a thing until shovels are in the ground in Edmonton.

[FlamesAllTheWay]

I would hope Mewata Amrouries wouldn't be bulldozed to the ground to make way for a new arena. But in a city that doesn't seem to mind tearing down some of it's more historic buildings, you never know. I'd have no idea how they'd make it work in there with the new LRT line + parking though.

I still think it will remain on the Stampede grounds and maybe move more towards Victoria Park station down there. There's already so much going on in that area with all of the casinos on the grounds, as well as the recent additions of Cowboys and another Melrose, plus all the condos going up nearby in East Village. Seems to make the most sense anyways versus something near Mewata or up near Airdrie as has also been rumoured. I have to wonder if Cowboys and/or Melrose know anything more about the situation, given what setting up shop there only to have the Flames relocated might do to their business in the area. But I'm no business man so who knows.

I seem to remember Ken King saying a little while back they were making progress on the new arena at about the same pace as the Oilers. They just weren't as vocal about it. Still wondering if that's the case.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Ken King over promising and under delivering.

We were supposed to have details on this what, two years ago?

I wonder what the delay is.

Ingrate taxpayers refuse to pay for it and give it to the team for free.

Cowperson

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by FlamesAllTheWay

I would hope Mewata Amrouries wouldn't be bulldozed to the ground to make way for a new arena. But in a city that doesn't seem to mind tearing down some of it's more historic buildings, you never know. I'd have no idea how they'd make it work in there with the new LRT line + parking though.

I still think it will remain on the Stampede grounds and maybe move more towards Victoria Park station down there. There's already so much going on in that area with all of the casinos on the grounds, as well as the recent additions of Cowboys and another Melrose, plus all the condos going up nearby in East Village. Seems to make the most sense anyways versus something near Mewata or up near Airdrie as has also been rumoured. I have to wonder if Cowboys and/or Melrose know anything more about the situation, given what setting up shop there only to have the Flames relocated might do to their business in the area. But I'm no business man so who knows.

I seem to remember Ken King saying a little while back they were making progress on the new arena at about the same pace as the Oilers. They just weren't as vocal about it. Still wondering if that's the case.

I think the Flames are about five years behind the Oilers. The Oilers first involved public city council discussion in 2008. One thing that could speed up the process, though, is if they use the Edmonton arena as a financial blueprint but I think that could be difficult as provincial funding will likely be indirect so they can't just expect the same amount from the province.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Ingrate taxpayers refuse to pay for it and give it to the team for free.

Cowperson

This

King and Co. have likely found very little appetite at the municipal or provincial level to pay for it.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

This

King and Co. have likely found very little appetite at the municipal or provincial level to pay for it.

Good! Fix the memorial/crowchild/bow trail interchange, construct the ultimate plan for the Glenmore/Deerfoot interchange (the one where you don't drive through the dealerships to get to Glenmore), give us better health care, give more funding to high school and earlier education, fund mental health programs which would help people living on our streets, then buy all citizens a Mercedes, and then build an arena with tax payer dollars.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FlyingDonutz

We should just renovate the saddledome.. It's easily the best looking arena in the NHL.

It's actually one of the ugliest IMO. I realize the shape has been a landmark but in person it looks like a corrugated metal barrel. It's ugly and severely outdated. When the new building is made the Saddledome needs to be blown to bits.

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Ken King over promising and under delivering.

We were supposed to have details on this what, two years ago?

I wonder what the delay is.

Well obviously the delay is all about money and funding. Like has been said the Flames are likely patiently waiting for the shovels to hit dirt in Edmonton so they can ask for an equivalent funding from the province and city.

[Joborule]

The sooner the Flames get their new arena, and Stamps get their new Stadium, the better. Calgary sure is imprinted in the ugly department for their sporting facilities.

[Table 5]

This whole stadium purgatory situation is getting annoying. They're just dicking everyone around like that girl in high school who would never go all the way, but always made you feel like there's a chance, so you never knew what the hell was going on.

I mean come on, it doesn't take 5 years to pick a site. Make a decision already.