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

[Joborule]

Red Wings show new arena concept. Look to open in 2017:





http://www.freep.com/article/2014072...-arena-Midtown

[underGRADFlame]

In unrelated news Detroit police are on the look out for this man, who has been causing mayhem in the area of the proposed new red wings arena site.

[getbak]

One part of the design that I really like, and have thought would be an interesting concept for the Flames' new arena, is that a significant portion of the concourse will be outside the arena footprint under a glass roof. It sounds like it will be open to the public during the day, then serve as the concourse for the arena during events.

Spoiler!

The Red Sox do something similar at Fenway, where they close off one of the adjacent streets next to the stadium prior to game time and turn it into essentially an expanded concourse.

[Table 5]

Those jerks stole our fire.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Those jerks stole our fire.

There's still saddle and stirrup imagery!

A horseshoe, maybe?

yee-haw!

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by getbak

One part of the design that I really like, and have thought would be an interesting concept for the Flames' new arena, is that a significant portion of the concourse will be outside the arena footprint under a glass roof. It sounds like it will be open to the public during the day, then serve as the concourse for the arena during events.

Spoiler!

The Red Sox do something similar at Fenway, where they close off one of the adjacent streets next to the stadium prior to game time and turn it into essentially an expanded concourse.

Not quite the same thing, but the MTS Centre's concourse has ton of large windows/natural light, and it's close enough to the street that between periods you feel more like you're standing in a store or a even a bar rather than a hockey arena.

It's actually really really nice touch, high ceilings help the effect to. Feels a lot less cavernous than other barns I've been in.

[psicodude]

Add a little more fuel to the World Cup 2026 bid speculation?

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...410/story.html

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I would love to see the redevelopment in the West Village area, but the amount of work required just to fix the Bow Trail/Crowchild cluster** will be enormous. I think the safer bet is north of the current location (with hopefully the ability to better tie-in a c-train station).

[Tyler]

So it's going to be expensive to redo Bow Trail and the safer bet is to wait for a $5B SELRT to be constructed instead?

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by psicodude

Add a little more fuel to the World Cup 2026 bid speculation?

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...410/story.html

"Let's go to see if you can bring the famous FIFA's World Cup we just played in Brazil to your country," he said Monday.

This is probably's Blatter's wink-wink nod-nod to Canada that they are now taking bribes for the next World Cup.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Tyler

So it's going to be expensive to redo Bow Trail and the safer bet is to wait for a $5B SELRT to be constructed instead?

I don't think it is fair to lump the entire $5B cost into the analysis, but even still, I would suggest it would be much easier from a transportation and infrastructure perspective to keep it in the vicinity of Stampede Park. The plan on the Bow/Crowchild redo would involve several bridges, off-ramps and NIMBY issues, so it will be next to impossible, even before adding an arena (and football stadium, if that is part of the plan).

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

I don't think it is fair to lump the entire $5B cost into the analysis, but even still, I would suggest it would be much easier from a transportation and infrastructure perspective to keep it in the vicinity of Stampede Park. The plan on the Bow/Crowchild redo would involve several bridges, off-ramps and NIMBY issues, so it will be next to impossible, even before adding an arena (and football stadium, if that is part of the plan).

The thing is, the Bow/Crow nightmare needs to be rebuilt whether there is an arena or not. I have it on good authority that the engineer who designed it was wearing a straitjacket at the time, doped to the gills on Thorazine, and drawing the plans with a crayon held between his toes. It was a ludicrously bad design at the time, and could barely handle the traffic that went through it when Calgary was a city of 400,000.

Adding an arena to the plan would not significantly complicate the job of rebuilding that interchange. However, if they rebuild the interchange without deliberately leaving room for an arena (or other major development), they will permanently lose the opportunity to do anything useful with the West Village site.

[ExiledFlamesFan]

When's the saddledome lease up guys? Safe to say the Flames will be in the dome for 4-5 more years? I imagine design, figuring out the location, and construction will take a while.

Any word on when the design and location will be released to the public?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

The thing is, the Bow/Crow nightmare needs to be rebuilt whether there is an arena or not. I have it on good authority that the engineer who designed it was wearing a straitjacket at the time, doped to the gills on Thorazine, and drawing the plans with a crayon held between his toes. It was a ludicrously bad design at the time, and could barely handle the traffic that went through it when Calgary was a city of 400,000.

Adding an arena to the plan would not significantly complicate the job of rebuilding that interchange. However, if they rebuild the interchange without deliberately leaving room for an arena (or other major development), they will permanently lose the opportunity to do anything useful with the West Village site.

Do you have a source on that?

I do agree though, that intersection (like many around the city though) were designed for a much smaller load and are just a mess with how things developed. It's a story as old as the city itself. We grew to quick and especially in the beginning, there was no thinking for the future.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

The thing is, the Bow/Crow nightmare needs to be rebuilt whether there is an arena or not. I have it on good authority that the engineer who designed it was wearing a straitjacket at the time, doped to the gills on Thorazine, and drawing the plans with a crayon held between his toes. It was a ludicrously bad design at the time, and could barely handle the traffic that went through it when Calgary was a city of 400,000.

Adding an arena to the plan would not significantly complicate the job of rebuilding that interchange. However, if they rebuild the interchange without deliberately leaving room for an arena (or other major development), they will permanently lose the opportunity to do anything useful with the West Village site.

Just guessing but your authority is the same as mine, the voice in your head saying who is the f^#&ing idiot who designed this mess the first time you drive it.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The Crowchild/Bow interchange might be the worst in Canada. New arena or not that disaster needs to get fixed, especially if Calgary's population is going to double in the next 25 years. Problem is, fixing it is going to cause a traffic catastrophe in terms of where you reroute vehicles to actually be able to do the work required.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by ExiledFlamesFan

When's the saddledome lease up guys? Safe to say the Flames will be in the dome for 4-5 more years?

Any word on when the design and location will be released to the public?

Hahahahaha

The lease is expiring in 2014 according to reports. Not sure if that means this calendar year, or if that means 14-15 is the last season under the current lease.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by ExiledFlamesFan

When's the saddledome lease up guys? Safe to say the Flames will be in the dome for 4-5 more years? I imagine design, figuring out the location, and construction will take a while.

Any word on when the design and location will be released to the public?

A project of this size once started could take 5 years to complete.

Flames won't comment on the location etc... until its all funded and ready to be announced.

No clue when that will occur.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by flambers

Flames won't comment on the location etc... until its all funded and ready to be announced.

The only way that statement is true is if they are 100% funding it themselves.

Good luck trying to get public funding though without releasing details about the location and scope. Getting the public to buy into the vision is probably one of their more effective tools.

[BoomBoom]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Hahahahaha

The lease is expiring in 2014 according to reports. Not sure if that means this calendar year, or if that means 14-15 is the last season under the current lease.

I have it on good authority that the Flames renewed their lease with the Saddledome Foundation last year. If I recall, it was another 10 year lease (!).

BUT (and this is a big one) the lease includes a 1 year exit clause, meaning the team can walk away from the Saddledome with 1 year notice without incurring any cost.