CalgaryNEXT Discussion pt. 2

[polak]

No roof but there better be a freaking indoors.

[manwiches]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I'm not sure what you mean. Your take on the roof is shared by people who live in Regina? Roof was a pipe dream. Only works if retractable because no one wants indoor summer football or concerts and the extra several hundred million is only good for a few extra winter events each year. Definitely not worth it.

The stadium will be able to hold large outdoor summer concerts. Regina isn't big enough to draw medium sized acts for arena concerts so it is a moot point that it doesn't have a roof. Acts who play stadium tours will play new Taylor Field. Acts who play 13k arenas wouldn't play in a 85% empty cavernous football stadium regardless of roof or not.

Let me clarify. I should have said from the people I talk to, the majority seem in favour of a roof. As I understand it, it would have been double the cost to put a roof on at the same time.

And valid points on all. I agree during the summer, outdoor is the way to go.

Perhaps I was just spoiled being in Calgary and having the type of acts come into town (of course not all, given the complaints from the Saddledome Re: Acoustics). I gather Reginians want a roof on their stadium so they don't have to go to Saskatoon to see bigger acts. I still think that some bigger acts might choose to come here if there were a new stadium. Saskatoon isn't much bigger than Regina.

This is all opinion based anyways, and has no evidence to support my views, other than to say I think this.

onto CalgaryNEXT now.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

The city isn't going to build anything to Balzac until Balzac gets incorporated into Calgary's city limits and tax district.

Any infastructure in Balzac will be all up to Rocky View County.

Even if the city took over Balzac. The Flames would never play out of a stadium that far away. If the west village is turned down(which I expect) get ready for a Memorial/Deerfoot location.

[You Need a Thneed]

I still think a major Reno to McMahon could make that stadium great.

Demolish only the upper tiers on each side, expand the concourses, and cantilever new upper tiers out over the lower tiers a bit, with a partial roof.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Put me firmly in the "no roof" camp. The benefits of being at an outdoor football game in the summer far outweigh being warm inside in the playoffs or the extra shows we might get that don't fit into the arena. There's nothing better in the summer than sitting on the east side of McMahon on a sunny day.

Well the field house needs to have a roof for it to be a field house and I believe in the big picture the Stamps ownership believes they would gain more fans with a roof than lose as they would get more fans at cold weather games and sell out playoff games if they were indoors. Attendance usually starts dropping off after labour day as the weather gets colder.

[RM14]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I still think a major Reno to McMahon could make that stadium great.

Demolish only the upper tiers on each side, expand the concourses, and cantilever new upper tiers out over the lower tiers a bit, with a partial roof.

Would also have to demolish the endzone bench seating because the rows are too skinny to put real seats in place of the benches.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I still think a major Reno to McMahon could make that stadium great.

Demolish only the upper tiers on each side, expand the concourses, and cantilever new upper tiers out over the lower tiers a bit, with a partial roof.

Doing that would likely cost more than building a whole new building from scratch.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well the field house needs to have a roof for it to be a field house and I believe in the big picture the Stamps ownership believes they would gain more fans with a roof than lose as they would get more fans at cold weather games and sell out playoff games if they were indoors. Attendance usually starts dropping off after labour day as the weather gets colder.

It drops off when people can no longer sit in the sun and enjoy a cold beer... oh yeah, and watch the game, i guess...

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by getbak

Doing that would likely cost more than building a whole new building from scratch.

I doubt it. Should be able to be done for significantly less.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I doubt it. Should be able to be done for significantly less.

my dad can beat up your dad

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by LanceUppercut

It's the CFL, they can just have them be a traveling road show and play home games in Fort McMurray or something because their stadium is in use (or demolished).

No idea if there is anywhere close with a stadium in Calgary, but Hamilton played in Guelph for a year or two while their stadium was built and I know they looked at London at well which is about 90 mins away.

[upperloge77]

I don't have exact measurements, but I'd honestly say why not look at putting the football stadium smack dab in the middle of the stampede grounds and replacing the chuckwagon grandstand. From what I can gather about infield dimensions, the chuckwagon/infield would fit in the width of a cfl field. Keep the endzones open and you have a 33,000-35,000 stadium for the Rangeland Derby. Just roll up the FieldTurf and put a good foot of dirt on the cement for a week or two during Stampede. Keep the end zones open, or have some sort of flying bridge that's elevated about 15 feet connecting the two sides of the grandstand that the chucks can run under, and bob's your uncle.

Plus, the Stampeders would then call the Stampede grounds home.

That grandstand has to be getting close to replacement age soon anyway, right?

Plus, while the Fed's for darn sure won't kick in for a pro sports team's facility, if you're talking the Calgary Stampede....that's a cultural/national/global institution! Might be able to make a case for a bit of scratch in the pot.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by upperloge77

I don't have exact measurements, but I'd honestly say why not look at putting the football stadium smack dab in the middle of the stampede grounds and replacing the chuckwagon grandstand. From what I can gather about infield dimensions, the chuckwagon/infield would fit in the width of a cfl field. Keep the endzones open and you have a 33,000-35,000 stadium for the Rangeland Derby. Just roll up the FieldTurf and put a good foot of dirt on the cement for a week or two during Stampede. Keep the end zones open, or have some sort of flying bridge that's elevated about 15 feet connecting the two sides of the grandstand that the chucks can run under, and bob's your uncle.

Plus, the Stampeders would then call the Stampede grounds home.

That grandstand has to be getting close to replacement age soon anyway, right?

Plus, while the Fed's for darn sure won't kick in for a pro sports team's facility, if you're talking the Calgary Stampede....that's a cultural/national/global institution! Might be able to make a case for a bit of scratch in the pot.

Interesting idea, I think it has been said in this thread before, however, I can't remember why it was shut down, and too lazy to go back.

Stampede is only for such a limited time as well, shouldn't interfere with anything in the CFL schedule.

might limit the outdoor concerts during that time I guess.

[Strange Brew]

I live in Houston where they have a huge rodeo every year inside the football stadium. There is a scaled down version of chuck wagon racing. There is not nearly enough room for a full sized horse track even if the end zones were open. Unless you are suggesting they run around the outside of the stadium?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The University owns the stadium and land and I'm not sure they would be keen on selling it also I'm not sure if the community of University Heights would be keen on the traffic of 40+ Flames games a year and people parking on their streets weekly.

Traffic would be brutal if the Flames played in the McMahon area. The infrastructure is very poor in that area in terms of handling extra traffic. It is crazy before and after Stamps games. The city would need to widen 16th to a full three lanes over Crowchild and upgrade the interchange. Crowchild would need to be widened to a full three lanes as well. The area would need an interchange at 24th as well.

As for fieldhouse discussions I'm beginning to think that because of our sprawl we really need at least two facilities. One to serve the south and one to serve the north (ideally two more to serve the west side and east side.) Glenmore Athletic Park would be a good place for a fieldhouse and would serve the westside, inner city and part of the south very well. A northern fieldhouse would be good on the lands around the Bearspaw Water Treatment plant (where that soccer dome is.)

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Traffic would be brutal if the Flames played in the McMahon area. The infrastructure is very poor in that area in terms of handling extra traffic. It is crazy before and after Stamps games. The city would need to widen 16th to a full three lanes over Crowchild and upgrade the interchange. Crowchild would need to be widened to a full three lanes as well. The area would need an interchange at 24th as well.

Non issue as our hero owners are following the status quo of other developers (i.e. Currie Barracks) by contributing to infrastructure upgrades for the surrounding roads of wherever they build their arena.

I mean, it would be foolish if this wasn't part of the discussion at least at this preliminary stage.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Traffic would be brutal if the Flames played in the McMahon area. The infrastructure is very poor in that area in terms of handling extra traffic. It is crazy before and after Stamps games. The city would need to widen 16th to a full three lanes over Crowchild and upgrade the interchange. Crowchild would need to be widened to a full three lanes as well. The area would need an interchange at 24th as well.

Stampeders get more people to their games than the Flames and somehow they manage with the traffic. I'm not saying it's a good idea for them to build an arena in the McMahon area, but I don't think traffic would be the reason not to do it.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Fire

Stampeders get more people to their games than the Flames and somehow they manage with the traffic. I'm not saying it's a good idea for them to build an arena in the McMahon area, but I don't think traffic would be the reason not to do it.

Lets have all Flames home games on the weekend.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

What about a retractable roof?

It depends. I find retractable roofs in many stadiums to be more like sunroofs than drop-tops.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by upperloge77

I don't have exact measurements, but I'd honestly say why not look at putting the football stadium smack dab in the middle of the stampede grounds and replacing the chuckwagon grandstand. From what I can gather about infield dimensions, the chuckwagon/infield would fit in the width of a cfl field. Keep the endzones open and you have a 33,000-35,000 stadium for the Rangeland Derby.

Fun fact, the original 1988 Olympic Bid put the speedskating oval in the middle of the Stampede Park infield.
That would have been an ugly disaster in my eyes. Thank goodness Dr. Jackson come up with a plan for a covered oval at the UofC.

(another fun fact: the original bid in 1980 designed that hockey venue as the Olympic Coliseum which only had international sized ice and I believe it was to be located in the Firestone Park area. The location bounced around a few places after the games were awarded.)