Arena Negotiation Discussion v2

[Locke]

Originally Posted by rotten42

Good thing other's opinions count too. Its a good project. The city needs it.

I flip flop on this often...ordinarily I'd agree with you, I've been a supporter of the project for a while now and I am comfortable with the financial mix of this project.

But then another part of me has to consider the practicalities of building an expensive and enormous entertainment venue in the current economic and social climate.

Are 20,000 people going to pay to attend sporting events in the short to mid-term future? Can they?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Locke

I flip flop on this often...ordinarily I'd agree with you, I've been a supporter of the project for a while now and I am comfortable with the financial mix of this project.

But then another part of me has to consider the practicalities of building an expensive and enormous entertainment venue in the current economic and social climate.

This is exactly the time to build it, the city will benefit from the stimulus.

Are 20,000 people going to pay to attend sporting events in the short to mid-term future? Can they?

Yes. Even though times are tough, there are plenty of people in a position to attend sporting events (and the building won't be ready for 3 years)

Having premium events like NHL hockey help continue to make Calgary an attractive place to live.

[Crown Royal]

Originally Posted by Locke

I flip flop on this often...ordinarily I'd agree with you, I've been a supporter of the project for a while now and I am comfortable with the financial mix of this project.

But then another part of me has to consider the practicalities of building an expensive and enormous entertainment venue in the current economic and social climate.

Are 20,000 people going to pay to attend sporting events in the short to mid-term future? Can they?

IMO it's worth doing it now because of the jobs it will create

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

IMO it's worth doing it now because of the jobs it will create

This is true for the money being put in by the private sector. Better to have Murray Edwards spend his money in Calgary than the UK.

The rest is a zero sum game of taking money from taxpayers and then indirectly giving it to other taxpayers.

[Mr.Coffee]

At this point if all it even meant was a shift of construction workers from standing around roadways chit chatting for 80% of their day vs working and slowing down huge swaths of road for no discernible reason under the false pretense of construction and moving them to work on this building so we can get less cones all over the god damn place I’m 110% in favour.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is exactly the time to build it, the city will benefit from the stimulus.


Yes. Even though times are tough, there are plenty of people in a position to attend sporting events (and the building won't be ready for 3 years)

Having premium events like NHL hockey help continue to make Calgary an attractive place to live.

I’ve lived here for 35 years and I seriously doubt many people move to Calgary because of its professional sports and entertainment offering. Lets not pretend the arena should be built for immigration purposes

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Corral

I’ve lived here for 35 years and I seriously doubt many people move to Calgary because of its professional sports and entertainment offering. Lets not pretend the arena should be built for immigration purposes

No, but it probably contributes to peoples's enjoyment for those already living in Calgary. That has value.

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[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by Corral

I’ve lived here for 35 years and I seriously doubt many people move to Calgary because of its professional sports and entertainment offering. Lets not pretend the arena should be built for immigration purposes

Nobody moves to NYC for the Statue of Liberty either, but all these elements form something that's greater than the sum of their parts.

[The Yen Man]

I'm all for the arena, have been from day one. Money is gonna get spent regardless. I'd rather it on something that adds tangible value to the city.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Corral

I’ve lived here for 35 years and I seriously doubt many people move to Calgary because of its professional sports and entertainment offering. Lets not pretend the arena should be built for immigration purposes

It likely doesn’t affect people immigrating from other countries, but 30 years ago I left rural Alberta to move to a city. I loved the Flames and hated the oilers, so I moved to Calgary. It was a pretty major factor in my decision as a 17 year old choosing which city to go to school in.

Assuming population growth is good for a city (that might be debatable I guess), then cities in Canada are competing against other cities to pull in citizens from rural areas and smaller cities and towns. Sports teams and entertainment districts are definitely a factor in that competition.

[Crown Royal]

Originally Posted by Corral

I’ve lived here for 35 years and I seriously doubt many people move to Calgary because of its professional sports and entertainment offering. Lets not pretend the arena should be built for immigration purposes

I'm planning to move to Calgary in a couple years and one of the main reasons is so I can enjoy the Flames live more often. Maybe you take it for granted because you are privy to it all the time..

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

Nobody moves to NYC for the Statue of Liberty either, but all these elements form something that's greater than the sum of their parts.

So true, when i moved to Calgary from a small town I was in awe, Miami's south beach had me drooling and when I visited NYC I felt like a kid in a candy store, times square, the twin towers and even an old cemetery in upper manhattan was an experience that I'll never forget.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

Nobody moves to NYC for the Statue of Liberty either, but all these elements form something that's greater than the sum of their parts.

No one moves to New York anymore, they move to Connecticut.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

I'm planning to move to Calgary in a couple years and one of the main reasons is so I can enjoy the Flames live more often. Maybe you take it for granted because you are privy to it all the time..

The Flames are the ONLY thing the city of Calgary has that isn't "The Mountains" or "The Rodeo" that anyone outside of Calgary even know about.

An entity that brings the city together is absolutely worth tax payer dollars. Private business or not, it makes the city a better place.

[3thirty]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

The Flames are the ONLY thing the city of Calgary has that isn't "The Mountains" or "The Rodeo" that anyone outside of Calgary even know about.

An entity that brings the city together is absolutely worth tax payer dollars. Private business or not, it makes the city a better place.

The Olympics used to be, and we almost got a second chance before the voters screwed that up.

When I lived in Australia people knew of Calgary from the mountains (lifites working in Banff) or the Olympics (mostly from Cool Runnings though).

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by 3thirty

The Olympics used to be, and we almost got a second chance before the voters Mary Moran screwed that up.

When I lived in Australia people knew of Calgary from the mountains (lifites working in Banff) or the Olympics (mostly from Cool Runnings though).

Fixed this for you.

[Manhattanboy]

I was born and raised here, and have worked here my entire career. I am seriously worried about the future of the city. Have even entertained the idea of a move to Toronto for the last of my working years.

You bet things like the Flames and a new event centre are top of the list when evaluating the pros and cons of a future in Calgary.

[The Familia]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

A good friend who works in the construction industry got some concept drawings for the new arena today for costing purposes.
Overall, I like it; they're doing something really really nice on Olympic way (West side of the arena). The rest of the building is a little more unremarkable, but still nice.
I'm assuming there will be lots of changes between what he gave me and what we'll end up with, but if it keeps on in this direction, people will be happy.

Is it nicer/better looking/more street and pedestrian friendly than Rogers Place in Edmonton? As long as it's better than their barn!

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by The Familia

Is it nicer/better looking/more street and pedestrian friendly than Rogers Place in Edmonton? As long as it's better than their barn!

I haven't seen Edmonton's in person, but the concept currently engages with Olympic way at a human scale; the form is much less monolithic than Rogers Place.
If you read the CMLC Rivers District master plan, Olympic Way is meant to be the main pedestrian thoroughfare between the stampede grounds and the green line train station; I think it even refers to Olympic Way as a "festival street"

[PepsiFree]

If we don't get a Margaritaville out of this I'm leaving.