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

[Joborule]

I'm pretty sure Scotiabank has dibs on the new arena. Isn't their deal for a decade or so?

[taffeyb]

I just hope that it's on the LRT line. It was a mistake to have the Saddledome so far away from the LRT station. Not pleasant to walk there during the -30C windchills...

Big 4 locale would make sense though I hope that they would bury the LRT line all along from 24th ave to12th ave. Since the Stampede Park area is such a big deal, why hide it behind an LRT track and fencing? Not going to happen though.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by taffeyb

I just hope that it's on the LRT line. It was a mistake to have the Saddledome so far away from the LRT station. Not pleasant to walk there during the -30C windchills...

Big 4 locale would make sense though I hope that they would bury the LRT line all along from 24th ave to12th ave. Since the Stampede Park area is such a big deal, why hide it behind an LRT track and fencing? Not going to happen though.

Wait, your upset that the Saddledome is 400 meters away from the LRT station, and during the walk you have to be outside for a total of 300 meters, even that is covered. I don't think you could do much better than that.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by taffeyb

I just hope that it's on the LRT line. It was a mistake to have the Saddledome so far away from the LRT station. Not pleasant to walk there during the -30C windchills...

Big 4 locale would make sense though I hope that they would bury the LRT line all along from 24th ave to12th ave. Since the Stampede Park area is such a big deal, why hide it behind an LRT track and fencing? Not going to happen though.

If it goes to the highly probably spot of two blocks north of the Dome, you're not going to like the walk from Stampede Station then.

[taffeyb]

Originally Posted by J epworth kendal

Wait, your upset that the Saddledome is 400 meters away from the LRT station, and during the walk you have to be outside for a total of 300 meters, even that is covered. I don't think you could do much better than that.

All I'm saying is that since both were built generally at that same time for the '88 Olympics, they should have had the foresight to build them closer together. If they have the opportunity again, they should correct this.

Also, since my spouse has a bad knee which necessitates a $2000 brace, I feel that I can speak up and make the argument that 400 metres is too far...you don't see the blue handicap zones in shopping centres being buried at the back of the parking lots...

[Bunk]

I'll be interested to see what they come up with, if in fact this is true.

Having it accompanying a larger redevelopment makes it sound like they're aiming for West Village - which indicates they'd be looking for a similar Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) scheme that is being used to fund part of the Edmonton Arena (and Calgary's East Village revitalization).

The problem with West Village however is that it requires about $300-$400 million in other infrastructure (realigment of Bow Trail, environmental remediation) to support any significant uses on it. In addition, the last thing that downtown Calgary needs right now is to open up more developable land. We have massive amounts of underdeveloped or undeveloped land - that will last us decades. The City will also not be keen to cannibalize market demand for condos in the East Village. The arena would take up a lot of land there, meaning less land for private development (condos and offices) that would actually pay back the debt.

Someone mentioned East Village. I don't think that'll be the case. It doesn't really fit into the redevelopment plans there. CMLC needs to use the remaining lands to pay back the debt from the CRL.

One area I could see is Remington's Lands just south of the tracks, adjacent to the 4th street SE underpass. Large enough site to accommodate it. It also would tie directly into a planned SELRT station at this location. This fits within the Rivers District CRL area that is paying for the East Village revitalization but is on the Beltline side of the tracks. I suspect they'd ask the City to increase that CRL for another $100 million or so.

Big Four site would be great, although I don't know how other development would accompany it, being on the Stampede grounds.

Another challenge will be provincial funding. I believe what the Oilers/City of Edmonton are looking to tap into is unallocated Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding from the Province. The Province will loosen the restrictions on those existing grants and the City will allocate it to the arena project. If the Flames look to the same source of funding, they'll find that Calgary has already allocated every penny of its MSI funding (WLRT being almost half the 10 year amount).



I guess only the Flames know at this point.

[Bunk]

Yes, and no faux historic stampitecture.

Edmonton deserves a lot of credit for a bold design for its arena. It's very sharp.

People associate the saddledome with this western motif (even though that was not the design intention, according to the architect) but it was actually modern for its time. It didn't attempt to look old.

[Manhattanboy]

I know for a fact the Flames are fairly advanced on the design for a new building.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by taffeyb

All I'm saying is that since both were built generally at that same time for the '88 Olympics, they should have had the foresight to build them closer together. If they have the opportunity again, they should correct this.

Also, since my spouse has a bad knee which necessitates a $2000 brace, I feel that I can speak up and make the argument that 400 metres is too far...you don't see the blue handicap zones in shopping centres being buried at the back of the parking lots...

Fair enough, I've never had to deal with that so it doesn't cross my mind, I guess at least it still is a covered walkway all the way to the dome, but I would be surprised if they even put much thought into easier accessibility to benefit people with chronic injuries and disabilities back in 1988.

[Bertuzzied]

I hope they call it the Cow Palace!

[Badgers Nose]

working terlets?

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by taffeyb

I just hope that it's on the LRT line. It was a mistake to have the Saddledome so far away from the LRT station. Not pleasant to walk there during the -30C windchills...

Big 4 locale would make sense though I hope that they would bury the LRT line all along from 24th ave to12th ave. Since the Stampede Park area is such a big deal, why hide it behind an LRT track and fencing? Not going to happen though.

Originally Posted by Joborule

If it goes to the highly probably spot of two blocks north of the Dome, you're not going to like the walk from Stampede Station then.

If this is the spot in question, it will be right next to a station on the future southeast line. Here's an edit of getbak's image from a previous thread. Green is the southeast line, red is the station.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Joborule

If it goes to the highly probably spot of two blocks north of the Dome, you're not going to like the walk from Stampede Station then.

But the walk from City Hall won't be too bad, and hopefully they can incorporate a +15 through the new Library and NMC buildings.

If the main entrance is at the corner of 4th Street and 10th Ave, the distance from City Hall station to the arena won't be much further than the distance from Victoria Park Station to the Saddledome, and the walk from Victoria Park to the new building also will be close to the same as the current walk (through the new Round-Up Centre and Casino). This would also eliminate the need for people on the W-NE leg of the C-Train to transfer at City Hall to go one station.



As for McMahon, I think the most cost-effective solution would be to do something similar to what they did in Green Bay at Lambeau.

Before:


After:


The primary seating bowl was generally untouched (although, they added a bunch of new luxury boxes), and they built a huge new concourse attached to the existing building.

A couple of minor enhancements would make McMahon a top-quality CFL building: Replace all bench seating with individual seats; a new HD scoreboard; a bridge connecting the East and West sides of the stadium on the south side; and a significantly larger concourse.

A new stadium would be nice, but it wouldn't be cheap, and the basic shell of McMahon is good. The concourse is just way too small to accommodate the crowds.

[mikephoen]

Maybe they'll build McMahon II on the old 'Dome site once the new arena is completed.

[Matty81]

I'm excited to see the Flames new arena plans. The dome has been great but a landmark modern building would really be cool.

A new large outdoor stadium for 8 or 9 home CFL dates a year can't be a big priority for funding but it would be nice to see. I love McMahon and have had some great times there but it is a dump IMO. With Hamilton, Ottawa, Regina and Winnipeg all getting new stadiums I think McMahon and Molson have the worst facilities in the CFL by a landslide. Then again since Mewata got ploughed under Calgary could use a decent medium sized stadium too and Foothills/Burns is looking rough these days.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by getbak

A new stadium would be nice, but it wouldn't be cheap, and the basic shell of McMahon is good. The concourse is just way too small to accommodate the crowds.

Sounds like the Dome too; except the Dome then has two giant Dodge Ram's on display in all of the key pinch points. Gets me every f'n time.

[Muta]

From what I know, there are three schemes currently being considered. Atleast one is a large, multi-use / major redevelopment of a completely new area. All three being considered are downtown in some way, shape or form. Columbus' Nationwide Arena and its surrounding development is a benchmark being analyzed.

What I can say is that Calgary is going to get something pretty damn cool, you can count on that.

[Smartcar]

A new arena would be cool but there are so many better things to spend taxpayer money on it would be hard to justify in the short term. I'd rather see the SE LRT before a new arena. Unless the new arena would be financed without public money, in which case the ticket costs would go through the roof.

[Flames in 07]

Calgary's current stadiums are uniquely awful, not just because the buildings are terrible, but because they are stragically placed to ensure the least amount of bars and restaurants are around. To ensure as bland a pregame experience as a possible can be had. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of a new complex has very, very low standards for professional sports facilities.

[Roughneck]

I was always under the impression that the land deal was already in place: two blocks north of the 'Dome, the Stampede takes the 'Dome land back?

And I was also under the impression that the West Village was a no-go because the cost of excavation is too high because of the contaminated soil that has to get trucked far away.


Wherever it may be hopefully it is something cool. I'm generally against Stempede-ish things, but to put an old twist on a modern arena, use that Nationwide brick design or something similar and replace the brick with sandstone. Brings us back to Calgary's early days and would definitely be unique. Though I don't really know if sandstone is cheap, practical or even available in the quantities to be effective for such a project but I think it'd be a cool look.