[News Roundup] CSEC/City arena deal UPDATED: Third Party Facilitator

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

In hindsight I actually think integrating an arena into the Corral redevelopment as a mega-project could have made sense. Oversimplification, but the two biggest improvements from a new arena are bigger/better concourses and luxury suites. BMO Centre is essentially just big slabs of multi-purpose spaces (ie. concourses)

BMOC is generally more of a 9-5 operation vs. arena mostly evenings and there would be a lot of BOH efficiencies and mutual benefits.

Of course this would require CSEC to play nice in the sandbox with Stampede

That sounds like a bigger mess that CalgaryNext. And no one gets an opportunity to play nice in the Stampede's sand box. They kick sand in your face the minute you approach.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Did somebody in this thread really bemoan using public funds on "homeless hotels" instead of an arena?

Yeah, god forbid public money goes to supporting struggling members of the public who really need it instead of the construction of a private for-profit coliseum. I can't stand people who demonize the unhoused. Spending $300 million on a hockey rink — especially during a pandemic — is a slap in the face to the less fortunate. Everybody should have a warm place to stay. Imagine sleeping out on your front lawn in this minus-30 weather, good grief.

Have some decency. The Flames already have an arena. Building a new one right this second shouldn't be even close to the top priority for this city. If the Flames want it so damn badly, they can figure out a way to build it themselves without draining the city of its funds.

Okay...but this is a very naïve worldview.

Arenas and Homeless shelters are not mutually exclusive. Did anyone suggest that a homeless shelter would not be built because of the construction of an arena?

This seems like an 'out of left field' strawman.

We should build Hospitals too.

The other thing, and I know the economics of it are murky, but revitalizing our downtown core would really help our Property Taxes from stagnating which is typically how the City receives most of its revenue and funding for things.

So sometimes to have one (homeless shelter) you need the other, being revenue generating, tax-paying properties.

Linear thinking like this isnt really the answer.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

And no one gets an opportunity to play nice in the Stampede's sand box. They kick sand in your face the minute you approach.

So exactly like Murray Edwards, got it.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

That sounds like a bigger mess that CalgaryNext. And no one gets an opportunity to play nice in the Stampede's sand box. They kick sand in your face the minute you approach.

Much better to have an 18k seat arena that's used for a few hours about 120 nights a year (less than half of those near sellout capacity) and a completely separate million square feet of space that is more frequently used, but only rarely with major attendance.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Locke

At this point I'm inclined to believe that we should get all these clowns in a room and clunk their heads together like a 3 Stooges skit.

Sell it on ppv at about 20 bucks each. promote it world wide, pay for the arena that way.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1478868356426047493

[Lanny_McDonald]

Gondek. What an idiot.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1478868356426047493

With who? Get real.

[442scotty]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1478868356426047493

Good luck with that

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1478868356426047493

WTF?? Are they for serious??

You had a partner and the deal was essentially across the finish-line already and....

These people are nuts.

[Locke]

Dammit Gondek...if "Many Interested Parties want to see the project move forward" then why arent you one of them?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Locke

WTF?? Are they for serious??

You had a partner and the deal was essentially across the finish-line already and....

These people are nuts.

No, of course they're not serious, same as any suggestion that they'll be redesigning the BMO because of this.

CSEC is out getting its shills to dance for them, so the city is doing the same. It's all just theatre.

Everyone knows where this is going, just like the other half dozen times in the last few years when CSEC has declared they were going to play at the Saddledome forever because the city doesn't like them.

[ComixZone]

Council is set to revisit the matter next Tuesday, when it will work to determine how the project will go ahead, Gondek said.

Mayor Gondek will ask the provincial/federal government for money - that will be her big move.

Kill somewhere around $400M of private investment, and then ask that provincial/federal government assist in paying - and then it will look like a "win" when they get some sort of provincial/federal money...which is just taking more tax dollars and putting it into the project than before.

[Lanny_McDonald]

And then... you still have to engage CSEC to be the primary tenant of the new event center! I wonder how those negotiations will go, and just how much that will encourage ownership to look for greener pastures? Partnerships are the way to get these things done in small markets. Gondek's ego screwed this up and will likely screw Calgarians that much harder if they try and finance this without the anchor tenant's involvement.

[browna]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Mayor Gondek will ask the provincial/federal government for money - that will be her big move.

Kill somewhere around $400M of private investment, and then ask that provincial/federal government assist in paying - and then it will look like a "win" when they get some sort of provincial/federal money...which is just taking more tax dollars and putting it into the project than before.

And Kenney will rubber stamp it, not as a chance to win votes (he knows he's done) but more as a legacy he can point to and even more as a middle finger to both sides in the province who he's already pissed off over Covid. If they promise to use Francophone contractors from Quebec, Trudeau will put his approval on it as well (and watch the budget of it balloon by 30%)

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

And then... you still have to engage CSEC to be the primary tenant of the new event center! I wonder how those negotiations will go, and just how much that will encourage ownership to look for greener pastures? Partnerships are the way to get these things done in small markets. Gondek's ego screwed this up and will likely screw Calgarians that much harder if they try and finance this without the anchor tenant's involvement.

We're getting an NBA team I thought I read earlier in the thread.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

That sounds like a bigger mess that CalgaryNext. And no one gets an opportunity to play nice in the Stampede's sand box. They kick sand in your face the minute you approach.

Except they don't have much sand these days....

[SeeGeeWhy]

Watch CSEC build an arena for the newly minted Balzac Flames to encourage traffic to the New Horizon Mall.

Not to be outdone, Gondek convinces Benevity to acquire and relocate the Phoenix Coyotes, dubbing them the Mohkinsis Weadicks.

[Freeway]

AEG and Oak View Group have been active equity partners in T-Mobile, UBS Arena and Climate Pledge Arena. And that's just in the past few years.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Freeway

AEG and Oak View Group have been active equity partners in T-Mobile, UBS Arena and Climate Pledge Arena. And that's just in the past few years.

Yup. And an excellent point.

In an age where private corporations do space better than NASA, why do we think we have to be tied to the age old stadium funding model that Edmonton went with?

Lots of options out there.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Freeway

AEG and Oak View Group have been active equity partners in T-Mobile, UBS Arena and Climate Pledge Arena. And that's just in the past few years.

Seattle. Vegas. New York.