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

[Muta]

Originally Posted by JBR

You're killing me with the juicy tidbits!!

Ken King alluded to it at an industry lunch event today.

[BigFlameDog]

The Atlanta arena was awesome IMO. Wicked sight lines and the concourse was unbelievable.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Muta

There's going to be a significant office component to this project too, by the way.

I'm no expert on commercial reality but one has to think we are getting close to over saturation of the office market.

Something like 8 new towers going up? with $50 oil?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I'm no expert on commercial reality but one has to think we are getting close to over saturation of the office market.

Something like 8 new towers going up? with $50 oil?

Build now for future growth and expansion.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Muta

There's going to be a significant office component to this project too, by the way.

With the success of other similar projects in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Toronto (and plans for ones in Buffalo and Edmonton around their arenas), that's hardly surprising.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Muta

There's going to be a significant office component to this project too, by the way.

Any idea on what would be considered significant in this case? Surely the shadowing bylaws would limit how high they can go in a West Village spot. An office component would certainly help out with the ROI, but it would have to have a hefty square footage to really put a dent in it, no?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by getbak

With the success of other similar projects in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Toronto (and plans for ones in Buffalo and Edmonton around their arenas), that's hardly surprising.

Agreed, this kind of information should be hardly surprising given what other cities have done recently.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Build now for future growth and expansion.

Exactly. Don't forget that in slower times, labour rates come down and buildings are cheaper to build. Smart developers see downturns as a way to build facilities for a cheaper price.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Muta

Exactly. Don't forget that in slower times, labour rates come down and buildings are cheaper to build. Smart developers see downturns as a way to build facilities for a cheaper price.

Which is correct. But with QP and all the new buildings downtown I think rents will be dropping and commercial real estate will be plentiful.

Like I said I'm no expert but it would be kind of cool if my office shared the same building/complex as the new arena

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Muta

There's going to be a significant office component to this project too, by the way.

That will probably ease some of the parking as I would assume the office building(s) will have a decent amount of paid parking.

[Incogneto]

Just imagine it....a huge skyscraper with an arena on the 50th floor. THAT would be one of a kind.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

@Bill

So if the Bell Center sucks, what bearing does that have on our new rink? I didn't say let's build a replica of Bell Center.

We can build a top class rink that is bigger than theirs.

It sucks largely because it is so big. It has nothing resembling that "sitting on top of the play feeling" and the lower bowl is far too big (something we are likely going to be stuck with for revenue reasons).

I love row 1 in the 200s in the Saddledome. They are the best seats in the league in my opinion. I know that dream is dead with the new building, but the Bell Centre is about as far from that as you can go, largely because of its massive size.

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I've said it a million times already, (maybe subconsciously I'm hoping KK reads this thread haha)

But I hope they build a world class arena/stadium & entertainment district that will be world class. Glendale is a perfect example of one.

A stadium that has a retractable roof is a major step to becoming "world class". Add in real grass to boot. Calgary gets enough sun.

I like the idea of Glendale, if you put it downtown and get something besides Bubba Gump Shrimp type places all over. I had a lot more fun at Nashville's arena, right on a street packed with non-master planned entertainment than I did in Glendale.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by Muta

There's going to be a significant office component to this project too, by the way.

So you're saying.. not.. Airdrie?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by calumniate

So you're saying.. not.. Airdrie?

Man, I wish it was Airdrie. I love that place, I'd take my girlfriend there every weekend if I could. I hear they have a pedestrian bridge over the highway and a Boston Pizza now.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by timun

There are about 3200 parking stalls on the Stampede grounds. Maybe another thousand or two in the surrounding area. That sounds like a lot but assuming every single one of those stalls was used by someone going to a Flames game (which is not true, at all) you'd have to have cars with four occupants apiece parking in all those stalls to get anywhere near 85% of the crowd.

Maybe half the crowd drives.

Plus because it is out of the core, more people are forced to drive to the games from parking locations downtown. Being in the west end means that it will be part of the downtown core, and anybody who drives downtown currently wont have to move their vehicles if they go to the games. Short walk, cheap taxi, or possible game day shuttle buses.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Here's the question, would you prefer something like Glendale; including an out of town location like Okotoks or Airdrie? Or would you prefer something a little more scaled down, but more central?

How is this even a question? Central, central, central!

[InglewoodFan]

This may have been mentioned in the previous 180+ pages, could the recently cleared lands south of Mount Royal Gate (50th Ave) west of Crowchild be a suitable location? Decent access from Crowchild & Glenmore. Maybe some synergy with MRU and the office park going in north of the road.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.00632.../data=!3m1!1e3 for reference

[Fighting Banana Slug]

^Outside of downtown and lack of c-train would make it tough. (Closer to my house, so sure, why not!)

[getbak]

Originally Posted by shutout

Plus because it is out of the core, more people are forced to drive to the games from parking locations downtown. Being in the west end means that it will be part of the downtown core, and anybody who drives downtown currently wont have to move their vehicles if they go to the games. Short walk, cheap taxi, or possible game day shuttle buses.

I don't know about that. West of 14th St doesn't really seem any more "in the core" to me than the Saddledome.

Most of the big towers are closer to the Saddledome than the West Village site, so I doubt that someone who thinks it's too far from the Bow to the Dome is going to think the new building is any better (the Dome is a 1.7km walk from Centre St and 6th Ave, the Greyhound Station is 2.8km).

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

This may have been mentioned in the previous 180+ pages, could the recently cleared lands south of Mount Royal Gate (50th Ave) west of Crowchild be a suitable location? Decent access from Crowchild & Glenmore. Maybe some synergy with MRU and the office park going in north of the road.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.00632.../data=!3m1!1e3 for reference

No, that area is slated for low-rise office developments similar to the buildings across the street.