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

[Robbob]

I for one can't wait for the giant robot that wears the hat. There is a giant robot, right?

[IgiTang]

I like it! Gives Calgary a unique building once again. UFA's will be fighting to come play in the big white hat!

Sadly tho.. it is suiting to Calgary in many ways.

[Ozy_Flame]

The Oilers arena is much, much nicer than that atrocity of a rendering. If we get that I'm going to throw eggs at it every time I drive down Bow Trail and run past it next to the river.

Oh wait, my bad - that rendering suggests that we bulldoze a huge section of Victoria Park and/or the Beltline first. Look at the angles.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

That design is absolutely terrible!!!

You need at least a cowboy boot hotel beside it if the owners want to make any money.

With a little ferris wheel attached to the hotel that makes it look like a spur!

[Fire]

I'm not sure why so many are getting butt hurt about a design that would never see the light of day.

[Julio]

Sorry, this isn't any sort of announcement, but instead a question about a design feature for the new building.
How low should row one in the lower bowl be? If you look at the picture, you see the seating at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon...some of the seating is like that in the Dome now, where the 1st row is pretty much at ice level. In the end zone however, the first row is about 3 feet higher. I wouldn't want the seating to be that far back, but I do think it would make for better sightlines if the first row was higher up. This would work not just for hockey games, but for concerts as well.
Thoughts?

[indes]

I hate you.

[Qwerty]

Small Update (Unsure what the latest in this thread is): Nothing ground breaking

I was at last night flames game (through the Top Shelf Experience) and we got to talk with Ken King a little during dinner. The new arena was brought up and Ken King talked a little about it. Some interesting tidbits he was able to share:

- They have the location decided. He could not disclose the location or state whether the Stampede will be involved.
- The project is going to be a billion dollar project.
- The new 'plan' is to release the information in the next 2 months (hoped before the new year).
- It is 'more then an area'. He is confident no one will be disappointed with it.
- You can expect the process to take 1 year for permits, 3 year construction. So as we already know it will be 5 years to completion.
- He stated there is no opposition to what is going to happen to the old arena as it will be 40+ yrs old come completion. We took this to mean it will be demolished which makes the most sense.

[skudr248]

that will be a sad day come demolition.

[nik-]

I hope we get something architecturally amazing and not a brick block. Can't wait to see it, but also pretty nervous to see it.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Qwerty

...
- They have the location decided. He could not disclose the location or state whether the Stampede will be involved.
- The project is going to be a billion dollar project.
- The new 'plan' is to release the information in the next 2 months (hoped before the new year).
- It is 'more then an area'. He is confident no one will be disappointed with it.
- You can expect the process to take 1 year for permits, 3 year construction. So as we already know it will be 5 years to completion.
- He stated there is no opposition to what is going to happen to the old arena as it will be 40+ yrs old come completion. We took this to mean it will be demolished which makes the most sense.

I take this to mean that the venue will likely be a sports entertainment complex that includes a new stadium as well. Awesome news.

[Ace]

"2 months"

[Scornfire]

Hope they sell bricks of the dome if/when it's demolished. I'm going to miss sneaking into the broadcast booth every stampede during setup

[Barnes]

He did say in late May to expect an announcement in ~8 months.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Small Update (Unsure what the latest in this thread is): Nothing ground breaking

I was at last night flames game (through the Top Shelf Experience) and we got to talk with Ken King a little during dinner. The new arena was brought up and Ken King talked a little about it. Some interesting tidbits he was able to share:

- They have the location decided. He could not disclose the location or state whether the Stampede will be involved.
- The project is going to be a billion dollar project.
- The new 'plan' is to release the information in the next 2 months (hoped before the new year).
- It is 'more then an area'. He is confident no one will be disappointed with it.
- You can expect the process to take 1 year for permits, 3 year construction. So as we already know it will be 5 years to completion.
- He stated there is no opposition to what is going to happen to the old arena as it will be 40+ yrs old come completion. We took this to mean it will be demolished which makes the most sense.

Hasn't that always been the plan?

[calgarygeologist]

I don't think the City of Calgary (owners) and the Stampede would want to demolish the Saddledome. Sure the land is valuable and could be very useful for further Stampede expansion but losing a venue like that for concerts would be terrible for the Stampede.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I don't think the City of Calgary (owners) and the Stampede would want to demolish the Saddledome. Sure the land is valuable and could be very useful for further Stampede expansion but losing a venue like that for concerts would be terrible for the Stampede.

They're not going to maintain that facility for a 10 day string of concerts. The new venue, if it's on the west end, will only be like 5 or 6 train stops from the grounds anyway.

[polak]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I don't think the City of Calgary (owners) and the Stampede would want to demolish the Saddledome. Sure the land is valuable and could be very useful for further Stampede expansion but losing a venue like that for concerts would be terrible for the Stampede.

No one is going to play the Saddledome over the new arena. The Saddledome is absolutely awful for concerts anyways.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by nik-

They're not going to maintain that facility for a 10 day string of concerts

Not specifically just for 10 days of concerts but surely the dome could be useful for other sporting events that the city might want to attract (ie. curling, minor hockey, World Junior type events, etc.)

[Ace]

The Flames will not move forward with a new arena as long as a competing building remains that could undercut their rent.