Flames to announce plans to announce arena plans in the... future...

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

But I hope they build a world class arena/stadium & entertainment district that will be world class. Glendale is a perfect example of one.

If Glendale is what you consider world-class, you need to visit more of the world.



A couple of stadiums in the middle of nowhere surrounded by parking lots and some outlets is the last thing we should be striving for.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Here's the question, would you prefer something like Glendale; including an out of town location like Okotoks or Airdrie? Or would you prefer something a little more scaled down, but more central?

But, seriously, the furthest away from downtown I would want them to build is Fire Park. It's not as good as the West Village or Victoria Park would be, but it's relatively central; big enough to build an arena and stadium and have room for other stuff; the buildings could have an incredible view of downtown and the mountains; the site is already served by the CTrain and is surrounded by a few high-volume roads; and rumour has it that one of the Flames' owners already owns that land.

If the West Village doesn't work, I hope Fire Park is their Plan B (plus, it already has the right name).

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I've said it a million times already, (maybe subconsciously I'm hoping KK reads this thread haha)

But I hope they build a world class arena/stadium & entertainment district that will be world class. Glendale is a perfect example of one.

A stadium that has a retractable roof is a major step to becoming "world class". Add in real grass to boot. Calgary gets enough sun.

People use the words "world class" too much when hyping up a project. You used it twice in the same sentence. Glendale a "world class" project? I don't think so.

This project will be nothing near "world class", but if what is rumoured is going ahead, it will be great for the city

[Jay Random]

Glendale is a world-class example of how rich people can turn themselves into poor people by investing with their egos. The hockey team went bankrupt, the City of Glendale ruined its credit rating and had to raise taxes, and the entertainment district went into foreclosure in 2011. Let's say no to all that, shall we?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Table 5

If Glendale is what you consider world-class, you need to visit more of the world.



A couple of stadiums in the middle of nowhere surrounded by parking lots and some outlets is the last thing we should be striving for.

The site itself is great. They have an excellent stadium, rink & restaurants all around.

I've said it earlier and in another thread that the location is atrocious though. If this thing was built in old town Scottsdale, then you are talking.

If Calgary built a similar complex perhaps where the old greyhound station is, that would be awesome. I'd just build the stadium where the theatre is, so the entertainment district is sandwiched between the stadium & arena.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Table 5

If Glendale is what you consider world-class, you need to visit more of the world.



A couple of stadiums in the middle of nowhere surrounded by parking lots and some outlets is the last thing we should be striving for.

Not to mention that Glendale is easily my least favourite 'new rink' I have been to. Such a terrible design.

Chase Field, OTOH, is a beautiful ballpark built in downtown Phoenix and which compliments the community.

[Stay Golden]

The rumors about the new location possibly being where GSL is at is ridiculous.
That place is a mess for traffic entrance and exit even as it is with limited traffic flow.
That would be a frustrating traffic nightmare, getting to and from the games would be a total headache.
I sure hope they do not decide to build there.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by getbak

But, seriously, the furthest away from downtown I would want them to build is Fire Park. It's not as good as the West Village or Victoria Park would be, but it's relatively central; big enough to build an arena and stadium and have room for other stuff; the buildings could have an incredible view of downtown and the mountains; the site is already served by the CTrain and is surrounded by a few high-volume roads; and rumour has it that one of the Flames' owners already owns that land.

If the West Village doesn't work, I hope Fire Park is their Plan B (plus, it already has the right name).

Building outside of downtown doesn't really make sense from a business standpoint, either. Corporate suites are very important to a team's bottom line, and you need to make the games accessible to your fanbase - having an arena within walking distance / short train ride / short taxi ride is essential to fans coming to the games straight after work, which is what happens as is, and will only continue to happen even more.

It sucks for people in the burbs, I get that, but the further out you go to the peripherals of the city, the harder it is for 75% of the rest of the city to get there - and that can be the difference between buying a ticket (and season tickets) or not... the only logical solution is putting it central where it can be accessible to all.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

The rumors about the new location possibly being where GSL is at is ridiculous.
That place is a mess for traffic entrance and exit even as it is with limited traffic flow.
That would be a frustrating traffic nightmare, getting to and from the games would be a total headache.
I sure hope they do not decide to build there.

Right on the CTrain line though.

You would absolutely have to upgrade the roads, which could become the city's primary contribution. And that is something that would benefit many more people than just fans going to events.

[Table 5]

Personally I'm just not a fan of anything with a heritage/retro or stucco-mall look. I'd much prefer going to the route of Staples/La Live where it's contemporary and forward facing, as I think sporting venues offer up a great opportunity to showcase new technology and construction innovations (which is what the Dome did back in its day).

Overall, I actually think what Edmonton has done is a great benchmark. An inner-city location connected to public transit, with an emphasis on pubic gathering spaces that can be utilized relatively year round, and a nice contemporary design. If that's what we got, I'd be pretty happy.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

The rumors about the new location possibly being where GSL is at is ridiculous.
That place is a mess for traffic entrance and exit even as it is with limited traffic flow.
That would be a frustrating traffic nightmare, getting to and from the games would be a total headache.
I sure hope they do not decide to build there.

This would be the best thing that could happen then because all of that would be fixed.

You don't build a 20,000 (potentially 40,000 if the stadium is built) person arena without major traffic considerations.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

The rumors about the new location possibly being where GSL is at is ridiculous.
That place is a mess for traffic entrance and exit even as it is with limited traffic flow.
That would be a frustrating traffic nightmare, getting to and from the games would be a total headache.
I sure hope they do not decide to build there.

I wonder if there's a breakdown available, but I'd imagine that currently it's a minority of people who drive to the games. The West Village location is much closer to the train and is walkable or a short cab ride away from downtown.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Right on the CTrain line though.

You would absolutely have to upgrade the roads, which could become the city's primary contribution. And that is something that would benefit many more people than just fans going to events.

C train aspect is a plus, it will be interesting to see how the city would completely change the road system around there. As it currently is it is a joke.
The engineer's would really be put to the test with the limited access points to work with due to the river and the nearby bridges. Not to be overlooked 14th Street and Crowfoot are always terrible.
I agree if they can solve all those related traffic problems and it is a glaring big one it would definitely benefit more than just the fans going to and from the games.

[Kolbe31]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

The site itself is great. They have an excellent stadium, rink & restaurants all around.

I've said it earlier and in another thread that the location is atrocious though. If this thing was built in old town Scottsdale, then you are talking.

If Calgary built a similar complex perhaps where the old greyhound station is, that would be awesome. I'd just build the stadium where the theatre is, so the entertainment district is sandwiched between the stadium & arena.

Exactly. I think that's all CroFlames was saying. He wasn't suggesting that we build in the middle of nowhere and then go bankrupt.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Minnesota is likely getting a team (not exactly West, but would be in the West).

I'm not sure why MLB is a problem. Most of the teams in the league play in a city with a baseball team.

MLB isn't a "problem" per se, but they are a very large drain on a city's sporting dollars and market share. Average attendance for MLB may be about 25k, but they play 80 home games. I know I've read that MLS is careful to enter into markets with MLB, unless they are sure the market will be able to support both.

If that MLB market isn't wealthy and/or large enough (considering that in some cases, there is also NFL, NHL, NBA and college teams), there just simply may not be enough spillover for MLS to justify its existence over a smaller market without MLB (or without NFL, like Salt Lake City, Columbus, Orlando and Portland) that might be able to draw more attendance/market share.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Zarley

I wonder if there's a breakdown available, but I'd imagine that currently it's a minority of people who drive to the games. The West Village location is much closer to the train and is walkable or a short cab ride away from downtown.

Limited amount of people that drive to the games?
There are the 3 Stampede lots that are all larger than any lots anywhere downtown.
The 2 level parking garage.
At least another 8 private lots that I know of.
And all of the above are completely full every game.
So if that is a reflection of attendance I would say a generous estimate would be at least 85% of the fans arrive by vehicle from what I see on a nightly basis.

[Resolute 14]

85% is probably very high, but I would agree it is a majority of fans that drive.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Bell Centre sucks.

No thanks.

I thought the sight lines and the exits, concourse were pretty good.

[Stay Golden]

I wonder what the pulse is around here if the new location will be a Flames arena only or a joint new Stamps stadium and Flames arena. Man the thought that would be just

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

I wonder what the pulse is around here if the new location will be a Flames arena only or a joint new Stamps stadium and Flames arena. Man the thought that would be just

In my not so humble opinion, a joint arena/stadium is not possible, and would be good for neither if done, which it won't be.