[News] CalgaryNEXT Announcement. New arena details emerge.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I have realized all along that your only purpose here is to push your own inferiority complex and to try - as you always do - to make the topic all about yourself or the Oilers or Edmonton. It got old a very long time ago.

What are you talking about?

I am talking about city supplied financing for this project. A city that I live in and pay taxes in. I am wondering if the ticket tax is going to be supplied by the city. I was simply pointing out that the ticket tax was something that a lot of average joes were against for the Edmonton deal.

Really the ticket tax - along with remediation/infrastructure (which wasn't talked about) is really all I care about at this point. I think I am ok with teh $200 million they have asked for straight up from the city based on the announced project.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nik-

Yeah, balking at the cost and taking a sober look at the proposal ... what a clown.

I am not only talking about this issue, guy has done nothing for the city other than winning a popularity contest

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

I feel like we haven't had a straight answer on how much of the funding will come from the taxpayer.

The website says that CS&E will kick in 200M I think it's fair to assume the other $690,000,000.00 would come from the taxpayer.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I am not only talking about this issue, guy has done nothing for the city other than winning a popularity contest

Actually, that's called a vote. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself. His response was exactly the response one would hope for from a politician looking at the best interests of his constituents.

[Flabbibulin]

Didn't King basically just say the renderings are just there to give us an idea and nothing official at all? I think we need to relax on the design pictures.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

Didn't King basically just say the renderings are just there to give us an idea and nothing official at all? I think we need to relax on the design pictures.

I hope so, and I think you are right. Because that stadium rendering is pretty bad.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by azzarish

What's McMahon's capacity? Close to 40,000? But the fieldhouse would support 30,000. Am I the only one that find's that a bit strange?

Surely, you would increase the capacity or get to close to whatever McMahon currently supports. So, if the stadium is MLS ready now (even though it wouldn't be sustainable in today's Calgary market) it would still only hold 30,000. If we're going full out with a state of the art facility why not have more seats?

McMahon I think they mentioned was 36k but they avg closer to 29k. No point making more seats if you aren't selling them. Although it can increase to 50k for special events.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

That's perhaps just bad business on the city side? I would imagine that because some of the owners have businesses here, they like having a good relationship with other organizations (ie: the city).

Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but I would venture to believe the ownership group has huge vested interests in Calgary doing well and perhaps love Calgary as much as the average citizen?

I see where you're coming from, but perhaps I'm naive enough to not be concerned by it.

You're hopeful, it's good to be hopeful. I'm just jaded because I've seen the whole "We NEED a New Stadium" movie before. Maybe it'll be different this time, who knows? And it doesn't make the Flames owners bad people for wanting it, the game is the game and many others have gotten the public funds.

I don't ever blame the owners for asking. I blame the governments for caving so often.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

I feel like we haven't had a straight answer on how much of the funding will come from the taxpayer.

You're not going to get one, since King said outright the answer is "I don't know". That's basically code for "it's still under negotiation."

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You're hopeful, it's good to be hopeful. I'm just jaded because I've seen the whole "We NEED a New Stadium" movie before. Maybe it'll be different this time, who knows? And it doesn't make the Flames owners bad people for wanting it, the game is the game and many others have gotten the public funds.

I don't ever blame the owners for asking. I blame the governments for caving so often.

Great Point. I don't fault the Flames for asking for the moon, but I fault everyone who is willing to defend their initial ask to the death like this.

[Benched]

Originally Posted by nik-

Actually, that's called a vote. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself. His response was exactly the response one would hope for from a politician looking at the best interests of his constituents.

can't seem to thank you so I'll just quote you and say "Thanks" here

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by azzarish

What's McMahon's capacity? Close to 40,000? But the fieldhouse would support 30,000. Am I the only one that find's that a bit strange?

Surely, you would increase the capacity or get to close to whatever McMahon currently supports. So, if the stadium is MLS ready now (even though it wouldn't be sustainable in today's Calgary market) it would still only hold 30,000. If we're going full out with a state of the art facility why not have more seats?

Empty seats are a waste of money. The trend in pretty much all sports is smaller, more intimate, reduce supply to increase demand. Where they used to build 50k baseball stadiums, we now see 35-40k. CFL stadiums are being built in the 25-30k range. NHL rinks are coming in around 18k.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by azzarish

What's McMahon's capacity? Close to 40,000? But the fieldhouse would support 30,000. Am I the only one that find's that a bit strange?

Surely, you would increase the capacity or get to close to whatever McMahon currently supports. So, if the stadium is MLS ready now (even though it wouldn't be sustainable in today's Calgary market) it would still only hold 30,000. If we're going full out with a state of the art facility why not have more seats?

It's all about money right now. More seats means bigger means more money and the project is already pricey. Stampeders are averaging about 28k per game attendance which has been pretty consistent over the past decade. What purpose would be to build another 10k seats which will be unused 99% of the time? Take a look at a Lions or Whitecaps game in BC place. They have the top row tarped off and it's just a waste not to mention not the greatest environment sitting in a half empty building. I imagine they would design the stadium with future expansion in mind in the event there is an Olympic bid or something of that order.

[azzarish]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I hope so, and I think you are right. Because that stadium rendering is pretty bad.

I agree that renderings aren't that great.

I'm still not sold on the idea of a roof. I suppose I'm thinking more long term with a view to MLS and a possible FIFA world cup in the future. Apparently the roof isn't retractable. I'm not sure if that's a great idea.

[CroFlames]

Justin Slimm ‏@justinslimm 2h2 hours ago Our early story: CalgaryNEXT unveiled and could cost millions, if not billions (pic ctsy: @ignitedandroid) http://www.660news.com/2015/08/18/live-blog-calgarynext-unveiled-as-season-ticket-holders-post-pictures-of-plans/ …


I like this tweet. It went from $890MM to "billions".

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by azzarish

I agree that renderings aren't that great.

I'm still not sold on the idea of a roof. I suppose I'm thinking more long term with a view to MLS and a possible FIFA world cup in the future. Apparently the roof isn't retractable. I'm not sure if that's a great idea.

I think it is a horrible idea.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Parallex

The website says that CS&E will kick in 200M I think it's fair to assume the other $690,000,000.00 would come from the taxpayer.

$250m from ticket buyers is not from the taxpayer.

$240m in CRL is not from general tax revenues, but specifically from the taxes paid by property owners in the West Village.

Only the $200m comes from general revenues, and that was the money the city was planning to spend on the fieldhouse anyway.

The real question is whether the West Village would be developed in any meaningful way without a project like this to kickstart it. If you think it would be, then the $240m from the CRL could be spent on other things. But the history of the half-century since the creosote plant shut down makes me skeptical. The City of Calgary has had many development plans that were formally adopted but never came to anything. Look up the history of the failed 50th Avenue freeway for an example.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by azzarish

What's McMahon's capacity? Close to 40,000? But the fieldhouse would support 30,000. Am I the only one that find's that a bit strange?

Surely, you would increase the capacity or get to close to whatever McMahon currently supports. So, if the stadium is MLS ready now (even though it wouldn't be sustainable in today's Calgary market) it would still only hold 30,000. If we're going full out with a state of the art facility why not have more seats?

King said outright that they get 27-28 grand for Stamps games, with the occasional outlier (like the Labor Day classic) and that 30 grand is plenty. It's better (for everyone) to have a full building all the time, than a building with a lot of empty seats most of the time.

We don't really need anything bigger than 30 thousand for a football (or soccer) game in Calgary, I don't think.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

Didn't King basically just say the renderings are just there to give us an idea and nothing official at all? I think we need to relax on the design pictures.

He pretty much just advertised designs by GEC - he mentioned them specifically in his presentation.

I think he knows which architects he wants to work with already. And they're probably not too far off from what they had in the renderings.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nik-

Actually, that's called a vote. Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself. His response was exactly the response one would hope for from a politician looking at the best interests of his constituents.

saying "no money" doesn't cut it...get creative

Nenshi will be long gone by the time this happens...all he is gonna do is hold up progress