[News] Calgary, Alberta, & CSEC agree in principle to $1.223bn Event Centre + infrastructure

[nik-]

I honestly can't wait for the season ticket renewal threads for the first season in the new arena.

It's going to be ####ing hilarious.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Muta

Yep. The previous sports district concept was $400M less, and included a new arena, 40,000 seat indoor stadium, community arena and site works. Crazy how much things have changed since then.

You're trying to tell me you believe that napkin math would be accurate? Come on.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Royle9

How much do people honestly think this is going to “personally screw” them as a taxpayer?
Did you honestly think/hope nothing would get done?
Did you think CSEC was going to magically put up 50%+ this time around?

This deal makes sense, the only issue is the provincial funds aren’t guaranteed and the election could blow this up again.

Looking at some other recent nhl arena deals like climate pledge, little caesers and coyotes arena our city/province got screwed in comparison.

You might not notice it in your wallet but money spent on this is less money that goes into other infrastructure and social programs.

[memphusk]

I will go watch games at a new rink even if it costs me a few bucks more. Hopefully it pans out this time.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At the risk of Bean getting mad at me, did they say anything about a timeline in terms of when they'd like to open the arena?
Trying to find that detail in 30 pages is hard.

Seems like a fair question, Wes asked it and was shot down by Bean and Pepsi.

[indes]

Hopefully it's awesome. Calgary deserves it. People can complain about the cost but I hope the value is there at least.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

You're trying to tell me you believe that napkin math would be accurate? Come on.

Especially with the price of napkins these days.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by nik-

I honestly can't wait for the season ticket renewal threads for the first season in the new arena.

It's going to be ####ing hilarious.

Tickets will go extremely quick, corporate will be all over the tickets.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by flambers

Plus this development will occur, with or without the Flames

Calgary has no choice but to make improvements to their downtown core.

100%. This is the key point the angry types miss.

There is no 0 cost scenario.

The city can spend 500m+ on their own to build it and probably ~1B more to run it for a couple decades.

Or it can spend 500m to build it with a partner, get a better facility, and an income offset over time, modest or otherwise.

If the city wants a downtown event centre connected to some kind of cohesive development plan those are the options.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At the risk of Bean getting mad at me, did they say anything about a timeline in terms of when they'd like to open the arena?
Trying to find that detail in 30 pages is hard.

Mayor was asked a couple of times. She said they wouldn't know until the definitive agreements were in place.

When Gilbertson asked Bean the question, Bean replied with weren't you listening to the mayor?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

You're trying to tell me you believe that napkin math would be accurate? Come on.

It was preliminary estimates of course, but way more accurate than you think. I can tell you it wasn't 'napkin math'.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Muta

It was preliminary estimates of course, but way more accurate than you think. I can tell you it wasn't 'napkin math'.

With how many projects go over budget even before the pandemic, I'm still skeptical. I bet it was also set on assuming a lot of other work (remediation, new roads and realignments) was covered by someone else. No scope comes without some creep, and that area looked ripe for it.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

With how many projects go over budget even before the pandemic, I'm still skeptical. I bet it was also set on assuming a lot of other work (remediation, new roads and realignments) was covered by someone else. No scope comes without some creep, and that area looked ripe for it.

Sure, that's totally fine to assume, I understand. Like I said, they were preliminary, but the numbers weren't pulled out of thin air. There was a team of estimators from the private and public sectors calculating them for several months. There's lots of considerations and calculations that go into them.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

2026 would be nice.

As in.. 2026 at the latest, please.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Definitely going to want to eat downtown prior to going to events.

No way I'm dropping 30-50 on a popcorn/burger combo. Those Katz prices in Edmonton are outright robbery.

I'll gladly pay entrance though.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

100%. This is the key point the angry types miss.

There is no 0 cost scenario.

The city can spend 500m+ on their own to build it and probably ~1B more to run it for a couple decades.

Or it can spend 500m to build it with a partner, get a better facility, and an income offset over time, modest or otherwise.

If the city wants a downtown event centre connected to some kind of cohesive development plan those are the options.

or plan C. The billionaire pays for it (or at least a fair share of it). CSEC basically get a free arena out of this deal.

[sureLoss]

In case anyone wanted to see some images from the city:

https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/w...ent-centre.pdf


Main things I noticed:
green line LRT station is 1 block north of the event centre. Was that changed in the green LRT plans? Last I checked the station was to be put up by the CP rail lines.

As others have mentioned they have rotated the arena's direction by 90 degrees to add the 1000 seat community arena, larger parkade, indoor plaza, and a "mixed use" building. The road alignment needs to be redone to include a new 5A street.

[UnitedFlames]

The guys giving Weegar credit!

"Weegsy what you do, 11 days it took him to figure it out"

https://twitter.com/user/status/1651001569834602496

[Demzy84]

Originally Posted by Bonded

or plan C. The billionaire pays for it (or at least a fair share of it). CSEC basically get a free arena out of this deal.

Let’s say the billionaire builds the arena in this area where there is really no businesses/shops/real estate at the time, and thus the city is not getting any property/business taxes out of the area.

The once their building is built, businesses and condos start going up in the area because of the arena and creates a whole new cash flow for the city.

Wouldn’t it be fair for both the city and the billionaire to get together to come to a deal that in the end benefits both?

[iloveicedhockey]

Rebuild now and have the last year of sucking be the final year of construction. Shouldn't be that difficult, right?