[News] CalgaryNEXT Announcement. New arena details emerge.

[hockey.modern]

Firm hired for six-month study of West Village contamination
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...-contamination

Starting Nov. 10, WorleyParsons will begin drilling and collecting soil samples at several locations on the site, which is currently occupied by several car dealerships, a Greyhound terminal and Pumphouse Theatre.

The company will also review reams of historical documents and earlier environmental reports, the CMLC said in a statement.

“We are initiating a three step environmental assessment … to understand the degree of contamination and the impact of contamination on the site’s redevelopment potential,” Michael Brown, president and CEO of the CMLC, said in a statement.

“Historical documentation and environmental reports produced for the City of Calgary point to varying degrees of contamination in the area – the result of previous heavy industrial use,” Brown said.

Both Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Environment Minister Shannon Phillips have said the polluter should foot the bill for the remediation.

The CMLC, a subsidiary of the city overseeing the redevelopment of the Rivers District (which includes the East Village), has been tasked with analyzing the environmental contamination in the West Village.

The land corporation earlier hired a law firm, Dentons Canada, to complete a regulatory and liability analysis related to the polluter’s role in remediating or mitigating the site.

“It is still too early to assume how development can responsibly occur in West Village but we are committed to working with the city to answer the right questions,” added Brown.

A full report will be shared with the city in April 2016.

[GullFoss]

Given that the ndp have now announced flood mitigation...why not just build a new stadium on the stampede grounds. Its a much more convenient location

[T@T]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Given that the ndp have now announced flood mitigation...why not just build a new stadium on the stampede grounds. Its a much more convenient location

Because stampede park owns it.

[GullFoss]

Doesnt seem like a huge hurdle to ask for free land...like asking for ceosite removal or a revitilization levy

[sureLoss]

The Stampede has already said they don't have enough land to do an arena and football stadium.

Also King has said the Stampede grounds don't qualify for a CRL

[browna]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

The Stampede has already said they don't have enough land to do an arena and football stadium.

Also King has said the Stampede grounds don't qualify for a CRL

And for the Flames owners, the main problem with the Stampede Grounds is that it's managed by the meddling Stampede Board.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

All the G8 nations have hosted the World Cup, except Canada & Russia, but Russia is hosting the next one.

Originally Posted by T@T

Because stampede park owns it.

I believe they actually lease the land from the city. But the lease isn't up for renewal until around 2111.

[Erick Estrada]

Good to see the process beginning.

[Julio]

Interesting that as part of a Leger poll I took on a few different things, there was a question if I supported "in it's current form" Calgary NEXT. No followup questions though.

[Scary Eloranta]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...al-says-nenshi

Dead in the water?

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...al-says-nenshi

Dead in the water?

I think what we are about to see is a very carefully crafted process of playing good side and bad side.

The way the article makes it seem as if Nenshi isn't on board and the Flames haven't done their homework.

Does anyone really believe that these sides haven't been working behind the scenes for a few years to get this project done? I suspect in about 10-12 months after the report to council comes back is when we are going to see the project "go off the rails" and then the ownership group will probably chip in with more equity on their end to somewhere like $275 mil. After that we are going to see a final vote to get the shovels in the ground the following Spring of 2017.


This whole fiasco just smells of some interesting bull sh** coming from both sides.

As a disclosure I am in favor of a new arena and stadium but I do think a bigger portion of it should come from the owners who will benefit the most from this deal FINANCIALLY. Lots of debate regarding different aspects of the project but in the end with a lifespan of 35+ years this combo of arena and stadium will be providing the ownership group multiple billions of dollars in revenue for their business. Its their responsibility to make adequate investment to protect their business units now and in the future.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...al-says-nenshi

Dead in the water?

Nope. Just Nenshi being Nenshi. He just wants Calgarians to know the city is doing their due diligence so after the fact people don't call them morons for green lighting the project.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I think what we are about to see is a very carefully crafted process of playing good side and bad side.

The way the article makes it seem as if Nenshi isn't on board and the Flames haven't done their homework.

Does anyone really believe that these sides haven't been working behind the scenes for a few years to get this project done? I suspect in about 10-12 months after the report to council comes back is when we are going to see the project "go off the rails" and then the ownership group will probably chip in with more equity on their end to somewhere like $275 mil. After that we are going to see a final vote to get the shovels in the ground the following Spring of 2017.


This whole fiasco just smells of some interesting bull sh** coming from both sides.

As a disclosure I am in favor of a new arena and stadium but I do think a bigger portion of it should come from the owners who will benefit the most from this deal FINANCIALLY. Lots of debate regarding different aspects of the project but in the end with a lifespan of 35+ years this combo of arena and stadium will be providing the ownership group multiple billions of dollars in revenue for their business. Its their responsibility to make adequate investment to protect their business units now and in the future.

Me

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...al-says-nenshi

Dead in the water?

Hopefully, this thing is a total disaster in almost every conceivable fashion.

[Manhattanboy]

Nenshi is a pompous arrogant ass.

Yes the proposal is flawed and there is much work to be done.

But to publicly crap on the owners and those who have been working on the project to date by calling what could be the best thing to happen to this City in years (assuming they do get it right, and in an economic climate where all the jobs that would be created by the project are not going to come from anywhere else) with childish metaphors ("not even half baked" etc.) shows that he is the real amateur here.

You would never hear this kind of language from a Bloomberg, Tory or Giuliani.

Instead of being dismissive and disrespectful, why not be constructive and positive?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Nenshi is a pompous arrogant ass.

Yes the proposal is flawed and there is much work to be done.

But to publicly crap on the owners and those who have been working on the project to date by calling what could be the best thing to happen to this City in years (assuming they do get it right, and in an economic climate where all the jobs that would be created by the project are not going to come from anywhere else) with childish metaphors ("not even half baked" etc.) shows that he is the real amateur here.

You would never hear this kind of language from a Bloomberg, Tory or Giuliani.

Instead of being dismissive and disrespectful, why not be constructive and positive?

You answered your own question.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

"Half baked" is a very poor choice of words, but I think all he is saying is that there is a tonne of work yet to do. I don't think anyone would argue with that. The city needs to look at the remediation and infrastructure costs. If that puts a bullet in the project, so be it.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by curves2000

As a disclosure I am in favor of a new arena and stadium but I do think a bigger portion of it should come from the owners who will benefit the most from this deal FINANCIALLY.

It ought to be a simple division here...

City Pays: Municiple Infrastructure (Roads/LRT connections/Sewage etc. etc.), contamination clean-up, portion that would otherwise be spent on a fieldhouse.

Calgary Sports and Entertainment Ltd Pays: Everything not specified above.

Ownership (Land and Facilities): Split proportionally per investment

Revenue: Negotiated (Superficially I'd say the City get's user fees from the fieldhouse + % of the naming rights, and any other revenue that would otherwise be generated from the fieldhouse while CS&E get's the remainder).

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

You would never hear this kind of language from a Bloomberg, Tory or Giuliani.

Hah, you clearly haven't heard Giuliani speak very much then.

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You answered your own question.

Nenshi has a Bachelor of Commerce from the UofC, and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard. He also founded had a company that advised clients like the United Nations, and has been part of countless civic-oriented groups. I'm not sure what kind of credentials you're looking for exactly (radio personality? developer shill?) but he probably has the most suitable credentials for a major we've ever had.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

I'm just going off of a bad memory here, but I'm pretty sure Ken King has said a couple of times the city has what they need for evaluation and, if they don't, he'd like it to be clear what they've missed.

Obviously a bit of rift between the two.