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

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by valo403

Why do the Stampeders need to stay viable with the rest of the CFL? Are Stamps fans going to go to games in Hamilton instead? Are they going to see games in a new stadium in Winnipeg and decide they don't want to go to Mcmahon because it's not as nice?

Actually the Stampeders are finding it harder to attract fans to games and the biggest gripe people have is the stadium. It sucks and it's barely US high school quality. There's nowhere to get warm in the cold months and the concourse is far too small for the capacity of the stadium. Typical of Flames fans to say a 50+ year old relic of a stadium like McMahon stadium is good enough and the arena is the only thing that counts.

[Tyler]

Exactly.

I'm one of those quasi-fans who would go to more Stamps games if the stadium wasn't a dump and there were a few more amenities to make it enjoyable.

Add a few thousand of us to every home game and it makes a difference.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by troutman

And the Stamps only have about 10 home games a year. Empty stadium for 355 days.

Not if they bring in more tenants which I would expect will be the goal. People can bitch and complain about who's paying but it's going to happen just like the Edmonton arena. May as well accept it and go out and enjoy them when they are built rather than bitch about something you have no control over.

[nik-]

McMahon totally isn't good enough. However, it being not good enough and building a new CFL stadium being a horrible investment in money are not mutually exclusive.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nik-

McMahon totally isn't good enough. However, it being not good enough and building a new CFL stadium being a horrible investment in money are not mutually exclusive.

Got 50 years out of McMahon and I expect they would get at least 30 years from the new building. Pretty good investment IMO as they last much longer than arenas and are cheaper to build.

[nik-]

McMahon cost the equivalent of 8.5 million in 2013 dollars in 1960. It's going to cost 250-300 million to build a new one. For 390 dates between the Dinos and Stamps in 30 years.

[bluck]

Meh... just drive to Seattle and watch some real football.

[Roof-Daddy]

McMahon stadium sucks. My Dad and I have had Stamps season tickets for over 40 years now, combined....yet I haven't been to a live game in over 5 years. I live three hours away, and I work a lot during football season, but another big reason for not going to a game in a while is that mess of a stadium. If they built a new facility I'd certainly make an effort to get to more games, that's for sure.

[HotHotHeat]

I don't see why people wouldn't want a new football stadium as part of a sporting venue? If the billionaires want to throw their money at something that will benefit the city, what sort of opposition is there?

[nik-]

Because historically billionaires what to throw OUR money at arenas and stadiums.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I don't see why people wouldn't want a new football stadium as part of a sporting venue? If the billionaires want to throw their money at something that will benefit the city, what sort of opposition is there?

I would also throw this in there.

If Calgary wants to be a world class city, they need world class venues.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Yeah, I'm sure we'll be hearing about this any day now.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Actually the Stampeders are finding it harder to attract fans to games and the biggest gripe people have is the stadium. It sucks and it's barely US high school quality. There's nowhere to get warm in the cold months and the concourse is far too small for the capacity of the stadium. Typical of Flames fans to say a 50+ year old relic of a stadium like McMahon stadium is good enough and the arena is the only thing that counts.

I think that's exaggerating quite a bit. It'd compare it to a lot of NCAA football stadiums minus endzone seating and nice facades.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I would also throw this in there.

If Calgary wants to be a world class city, they need world class venues.

Ok, i'll bite.

Which also ran cities suddenly became world class cities because of the construction of a sporting venue?

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by bluck

Meh... just drive to Seattle and watch some real football.

Depends on who they play

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by SebC

This is the West Village Area Redevelopment Plan. The plan would have to be changed a lot to accomodate sports facilities, as it currently specifies a mix of resential, office and retail for most of the area.

It's only a plan that's just been approved a year ago. Since nothing has even begun to put that plan into action, changes can be made, and would be if the owners choose to make that area host two new sporting venues.

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not if they bring in more tenants which I would expect will be the goal. People can bitch and complain about who's paying but it's going to happen just like the Edmonton arena. May as well accept it and go out and enjoy them when they are built rather than bitch about something you have no control over.

Not a lot of options for new tenants. MLS is the only addition I can think of and IMO, Calgary isn't the best at supporting non-NHL/CFL franchises. Unless they move it downtown, concerts are a no-go due to bylaws.

A new football stadium doesn't make sense to me for Calgary. The Stamps just don't draw enough, there isn't the multi-use options yet, and hockey/concerts/WHL/Lacrosse makes more sense.

McMahon sucks but I think you're overrating other college/CFL stadiums and general demand for a new stadium for 10-20 events per year in Calgary (and the Stamps alone).

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Actually the Stampeders are finding it harder to attract fans to games and the biggest gripe people have is the stadium. It sucks and it's barely US high school quality. There's nowhere to get warm in the cold months and the concourse is far too small for the capacity of the stadium. Typical of Flames fans to say a 50+ year old relic of a stadium like McMahon stadium is good enough and the arena is the only thing that counts.

Hahahahaha. The few Texas stadiums in Texas are great, but I lived 5 minutes from De La Salle High, one of the best high school programs in the US, and their "stadium"'and the rest of the "stadiums" in CA were barely more than my average Calgary high school. Cal, UofArizona, ASU, Candlestick and Oakland Coliseum are in the same ballpark as McMahon.

Simply, McMahon stadium is rough but far from being "barely US high school quality". And the demand simply isn't there. The CFL and Calgary generally doesn't have the need or the draw to warrant a new outdoor stadium.

[Tyler]

All you knobs saying 'the demand isn't there'.

In the next 5 years, new or completely renovated stadiums in Vancouver, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Hamilton.

Are we on par with some of those B-rate cities?

There is a CFL stadium building resurgence and we would be silly to miss out on it and watch our dump of a stadium get even dumpier.

[nik-]

I'm all for a new football stadium. Build it, by all means, it would be cool to have a new stadium. Just don't expect a taxpayer to see much value in a football only stadium in Calgary.

I don't see an ownership group being willing to eat that cost either.