[News] Ken King: Flames' owners no longer pursuing new arena with City of Calgary

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

This is absolutely true. I know one of the owners well and he is extremely upset with the way this has gone and is open to that possibility.

This is one of my greatest fears. If the Flames do stay in town it will be because the current owners sell to a consortium of people with less money and we watch the Flames turn into the Oilers back in the Northland days. I'd much rather see the team move than become that laughing stock. The current ownership group is well respected around the league and still has a great deal of power with the BoG. I would hate to see that disappear because of negotiations going sideways.

[Beninho]

Cmon CP let's pull our funds together!!!

Put me in for... oh #### my student debt.

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

I don't care. This city is nothing without it's team. I could care less about it to be honest. It's ugly, boring, lifeless, and dull. The stampede is the same year after year. Take away the flames, and this city may as well be wiped off the map as far as I am concerned. To me, the flames aren't just a sports team. I grew up idolizing them as my heroes. Watching a flames game is my special ritual on a Saturday night, and if we lose them due to pride and posturing, this city is just a mass of downtown corporate office buildings and nothing more.

[dammage79]

Whats the going rate on a shiny new world class arena anyhow? 400 million? 650?

[iamca]

I had 4 images lined up and for some reason on my tablet they wouldn't show up in my post, however the first one was a smug KK, followed by a huge equal sign, then an emoji of a turd, and last was an image of the hamburglar...get it?

[dino7c]

You guys can criticize the owners for tactics that is certainly fair...but greedy?

nah, there are far better investments out there if all they cared about was the money

[Point Blank]

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

I don't care. This city is nothing without it's team. I could care less about it to be honest. It's ugly, boring, lifeless, and dull. The stampede is the same year after year. Take away the flames, and this city may as well be wiped off the map as far as I am concerned. To me, the flames aren't just a sports team. I grew up idolizing them as my heroes. Watching a flames game is my special ritual on a Saturday night, and if we lose them due to pride and posturing, this city is just a mass of downtown corporate office buildings and nothing more.

Good thing the city doesn't care about what you think.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Absolutely. PM me if you want to debate.

Pass. But thanks.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

I don't care. This city is nothing without it's team. I could care less about it to be honest. It's ugly, boring, lifeless, and dull. The stampede is the same year after year. Take away the flames, and this city may as well be wiped off the map as far as I am concerned.

I have a feeling you'd be happier leaving Calgary, regardless of the Flames.

Take Girly Sports with you.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by dino7c

What have I said that makes you think that exactly

I think both sides have ####ed up

Ken King and the King of the hipsters can both go pound sand


People saying they don't care about the Flames or hockey on a god damned Calgary Flames message board are full of ####

people care, but there are limits to what that means, and its different for each person.

i care enough about the flames to figure about 25-33% of the money should come from the taxpayers...Above and beyond that number and I think the taxpayers are getting screwed.

There are folks here that probably think taxpayers should pay 100% of the arena costs - thankfully none of those folks appear to be on Council

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

This franchise is on the upswing and has top value right now. If the city doesn't want to do what it takes to keep the team here you can bet the hidden message in today's news conference was that the team is available. Suitors will be in touch and everything will be done quietly until a deal is made. I wish I was wrong about this but think about it. It's only common sense....

The owners legitimately wanted a legacy project with the west village. They could make money with the side developments other than the arena / stadium. I don't blame the owners. They are as bummed out as we are. People should stop beating on them. At lot of cities would have jumped on the chance to develop that diseased land.

Top value?? Had a promising few seasons but cmon they haven't been close to the cup since '04. City paying 1/3 is completely fair, only thing here to see is other wealthy owners don't want to pony up and raise private funds. City has other things to worry about than a hockey team.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by BigFlameDog

Some of you have lost your god damn minds....it is very entertaining though.

You would be saying hello to your Balzac flames playing out of the cross iron arena before they ever left the 403.

That would be hilarious if the province extended the trains out to Balzac and they just said bye Calgary.

Probably be fantastic for my property value.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I keep rehashing posts I've already made, but the only thing that matters is the cost to use the library is an affordable free.99, while the arena, for hockey at the very least, will cost 20% or more to get in (and it is never free to go in for the events people really wanna see). Plus we can't forget the principle which is pretty important. The city will kick in the land swap and the infrastructure upgrades. That is significant, but it's not what the Flames want. They want that, plus probably at least 50% from the city. That's just not acceptable.

The library can pay people money to go there and it really doesn't matter if an insignificant portion uses it when there's others available in the city. We have many libraries but one barely passable NHL arena. Yes there's infrastructure costs to any building. We all paid those same costs for that useless tin bookshelf.

Were you upset at the city paying for infrastructure upgrades to the east village? What about the ring road? Airport tunnel? Do you use all 3 of these areas a lot? I don't. But they all make sense (airport tunnel is a bit of a question mark now but is logical for future growth).

The land that the half cooked CalgaryNEXT idea was based off of is tainted. Regardless what happens with that land it still has to be cleaned up, and with creosote leeching into the water I would think it should be done sooner than later. That is another failing of city council by just letting it sit there.

Like bunk posted earlier about the city fronting 1/3 of the cost but expecting it to be paid back and only paying out in installments is asinine. You have to pay to play. Ideally I would be ok with the city fronting 30% ish of an arenas cost with no repayment plan. I want the flames here and I'm willing to pay for it. I've paid for a swath of things that have no bearing on my day to day life so it would be nice to have something this city pays for positively affect me

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by nik-

Until 25 years from now when they want another new arena and then the current mayor is the new Nenshi and it starts over again.

This isn't Nenshi, this is a municipality trying to avoid the pattern of bad arena deals for their cities.

Only 25 years? At his pace, I hope King has already started working on his new powerpoint presentation and building renderings for this new, new arena.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by New Era

Except you aren't right.

"Calgary offered to pay for one-third of the arena, in equal instalments over a number of years, according to a source. The money would have to be paid back. The ownership group, according to this proposal, would cover another third of the total cost and surcharge on tickets would pay for the remaining third, the source said.

The Flames organization rejected the offer, the source said."

So the city really isn't contributing anything, because they are getting their money back. For the honor of the city guaranteeing 1/3 of the money through some type of loan, the Flames get to build their arena where the city tells them, has no opportunity to develop the entertainment district, and has zero opportunity to develop condos or other commercial properties.

So pay for a second rate building on a third rate site where they get no opportunity for revenues outside the arena. Oh, and that would be on city owned land, in a deal made with the Stampede board in a land swap. Hard to believe the Flames would walk away from such an amazing deal for them?

Such passion for someone who doesn't live in this country let alone the city, but go on, we appreciate you telling us dumb taxpayers in Calgary how we need to think.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by robaur

Who is "IamNotKenKing"? Is he Ken King or not? Is it a play on words? Is he/she an employee within CSEC? Based on posts made by that user in this thread, it sure seems like he/she seems to have some privileged information.

They mentioned before that they are related to Ken King. Nephew/niece if I recall.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nik-

The alternative is owners investing more of their own money to increase their own revenues, like every other multi million dollar business.

Or throwing a tantrum and threatening to leave, which is usually what happens.

Or actually leaving, which is a possibility.

So the Flames leave, then what?

Either the city pays for an arena or eventually we don't have one...

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Pass. But thanks.

When you're ready.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by dino7c

So the Flames leave, then what?

Either the city pays for an arena or eventually we don't have one...

I think if the Flames leave we won't have a hockey team. I'll have to look into it more though.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by dino7c

So what is the alternative...no large arenas or stadiums?

Yeah that won't hurt anyone except the greedy billionares

I think the general consensus has been clear: The land swap, which is valuable, and the infrastructure upgrades, which in a dream world takes the green line as close to it as conceivably possible. That's pretty fair since the Flames showed with CalgaryNEXT that they had $450 million to contribute, which can build you a pretty nice arena.