[News] CalgaryNEXT Announcement. New arena details emerge.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

30k seats for the stadium expandable to 50k

That's good news. From the pictures it looked pretty small and I had to wonder if they could host a Grey Cup in it.

[Weitz]

So they claim $890 million without any infrastructure upgrades?

My very limited viewing of all this seems like its going to be a crazy amount from the city.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Fire

Depends if the city wants to be left behind the rest of Canada and N.A or join the 21st century. $500 million to re-define an important part of the city doesn't sound like a lot.

That $500 million is just the additional building cost. Doesn't include infrastructure or the clean up costs of the contaminated land.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well...yeah. Kind of.

If we take for granted that the City is cool with just handing the Flames their $200M cheque for a fieldhouse and focus on the rest we havent even scratched the surface of the real costs yet.

It's also been mentioned that the $200M fieldhouse commitment isn't funded yet. So the $200M has to be found.

[Frequitude]

The city had already budgeted $200M for a fieldhouse. That money will now go towards this and they'll get the same thing but better. I don't see the problem. Unless people didn't want money going to a fieldhouse in the first place.

I am surprised that the Flames didn't throw in a token share of the $330M cost savings due to the shared design. Like, say even just make it $190M so you can tell tax payers this helped save them money vs a previous budget.

[The Ditch]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Yea, YEA.. like a $25 million dollar BRIDGE THAT'S GLOWY and RED!

While expensive, its hard to argue against having something like this in the city of Calgary, we'll see what happens.

nice straw man, I have never commented on the peace bridge. This is a waste of money let the billionaire pay for his arena, we shouldn't be.

[Lil Pedro]

This is awesome, build this already!

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

So basically almost $700 million in public money? Yeah that's gonna be a ridiculously tough sell. I was expecting an ask of about half that....and thought that would be a tough sell.

Where do you get this from?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Man, an accountant should not be paying loose and fast with numbers. $200 million of an $890 million project. Based on the comment about remediation, the Flames will be paying some of that as well.

We'll see how that all shakes out when more details emerge. I doubt the Flames went forward with that slide without having some idea of how feasible it is.

Come now...$890M is practically $1B. I'm just already estimating cost overruns, inflation and the rule of budgeting 50% more than your original budget for things you havent even imagined yet.

Further, I dont know whats exactly included in that number. The purchase of the land? Remediation? Infrastructure? Whats in there? Or is that a separate number?

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

Not really.
And it will be a City asset.

You edited this after I posted. It being a City asset is huge.

If the City ever wants to bid for events like the World Cup or the Olympics its incredibly important that they control their own major venues.

Otherwise they have to go hat-in-hand to the Flames asking if they can borrow their toys and then the Flames either bend them over for cash or politely tell the people who didnt help them when they needed it that they're not getting any help when they need it.

[btimbit]

Apparently there will be a bit more info, including more details on cost and funding, at the 2:30 event

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

The city had already budgeted $200M for a fieldhouse. That money will now go towards this and they'll get the same thing but better. I don't see the problem. Unless people didn't want money going to a fieldhouse in the first place.

I am surprised that the Flames didn't throw in a token share of the $330M cost savings due to the shared design. Like, say even just make it $190M so you can tell tax payers this helped save them money vs a previous budget.

Except that would be $200 million to a city owned and controlled building. Will the flames own and operate this field house? Totally changes things.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

As a Flames fan, I don't have a problem with government providing money.

But also as a Flames fan, I realize that when the public sees that the Flames will be funding less than 25% of the cost (and that doesn't even include revitalization), this thing won't even get off the ground.

I am quite disappointed that it took KK this long to prepare something that I think is going to be rejected unanimously by the public.

It takes a special kind of arrogance for someone to believe they speak for literally everyone.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

That $500 million is just the additional building cost. Doesn't include infrastructure or the clean up costs of the contaminated land.

Sure, but that is something all levels of government should have cleaned up a long time ago. Isn't the NDP suppose to be environmentally friendly government? It would look bad if they didn't put a lot of money towards cleaning the mess up.

[mhsyyc]

$200 million in tax dollars. Lessee, that's about $153 per person in this city with the current population. I'd pay that in taxes to:

1. see an ugly area of city re-developed
2. see the city I was born and raised in get a fieldhouse for use by amateur athletes
3. see a facility that will allow us to host a wide range of events in a wide variety of sports, business and cultural events.

And you know what, I'm happy the business is putting up $200M of their own money too. That's a load more than what a lot of owners are putting up.

[jschick88]

Dave Dormer ‏@SunDaveDormer
So essentially the @NHLFlames will be asking for $690 million in taxpayer funds to build @CalgaryNext #yyc #yeg

Calgary Next ‏@CalgaryNext
@SunDaveDormer @NHLFlames Hi Dave, that's incorrect. Please attend the 2:30 press conference for full and correct information. Thank you!

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by The Ditch

nice straw man, I have never commented on the peace bridge. This is a waste of money let the billionaire pay for his arena, we shouldn't be.

The dollar figures won't go over, but you know the Calgary Entertainment group knew they wouldn't, figures will be adjusted and we'll see what happens. Regardless I wouldn't get too worked up over it, the city wastes money on stuff all the time, like the bridge, blue circle art piece that nobody cares about etc...

This development opens up not only sports and entertainment opportunities but also a completely new district for business's to generate the city revenue. While a LOT of money its not completely wasted money, and the city will have some if not all ownership of parts of this project which allows them to bid on bigger and better things. MONEY aside, I fail to see how this isn't a win/win

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It takes a special kind of arrogance for someone to believe they speak for literally everyone.

I never claimed to speak for anyone else. It's logical anticipation.

[Locke]

I want to make it clear, I am absolutely not against public money for things like this, it just has to be within reason and provide economic benefit back to the City.

No crazy blank cheques or anything.

However, and this is important, if this is to be a Civic Asset then yes, the City should pay for at least, if not more, than 50% of it.

If its a Privately held asset, then the same, if not stricter rules, should apply.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

What constitutes "well appointed restrooms"? TV's above the urinal? Kind of an odd descriptor.

I'll be happy if there's paper towels in the paper towel dispenser.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I never claimed to speak for anyone else. It's logical anticipation.

Taxpayers would have complained if the Flames asked for $100 million so you aren't exactly going out on a limb here.