[News] New Arena - Plan B - Victoria Park

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

As I live in Victoria I'm curious if Nenshi is likely to be re-elected and when the next election is?

Thanks

October of this year. At this point, it seems likely that he will get reelected.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I believe the csec is positioning council to defeat opposition politicians before attempting to go through with a plan.

Most if the council already wants this to happen. Other major power brokers want this to happen as well. There is a huge swell of momentum amongst private interests in Calgary to get this project going.

The next step is finding and funding a challenger for mayor that can bring this thing home.

Nenshi in office may be the most significant factor in the delay of the project announcement.

I agree Nenshi needs to start to button his lip and get down to business. If he wants to help prolong his tenure he needs to show the public he is a willing partner and not engage in snipes with Ken King.

That said past the typical snark our mayor shows, I don't think he is against funding in general. I think he is playing hardball with the Flames and I am all for that. As a taxpayer I am happy he is working to get us a deal.

I am no blind Nenshi fan, I have said before his I'm smarter than you delivery is a turn off. However, I think he is doing the right thing here. Until I hear him flat out say there is no deal ever I won't be changing my mind.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Fire

Sold out crowd of 17000 fans? I though the Dome had a capacity of over 20000 when it first opened?

No, the "press level" didn't even have seats in it when the building first opened (I think the first three rows were there, but nothing behind the walkway).

They were installed just before the Olympics. I believe the original plan was to remove them after the Games, but the Flames were so popular at the time that they didn't have trouble selling them out most nights.

[Par]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

can you stop

I did nothing wrong.

[You Need a Thneed]

To anyone saying that the mayor and the city need to get on board - including the writer of that awful Sun article - the city has done more to get the arena built than the Flames have, so far. I don't see how that's even debatable. The city have done all of the work so far in finding a potential location that works, and that's pretty much where the process is at.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

October of this year. At this point, it seems likely that he will get reelected.

Well thats 2 bad, seems like he has no love for the new rink. I suppose there are plenty of other issues in the election though

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

If he doesn't find a way to make this arena deal work, I'd say his political leash becomes pretty short. Plenty of people I know that think the same way. I'd rather see that done than a "Peace Bridge" for instance.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I believe the csec is positioning council to defeat opposition politicians before attempting to go through with a plan.

Most if the council already wants this to happen. Other major power brokers want this to happen as well. There is a huge swell of momentum amongst private interests in Calgary to get this project going.

The next step is finding and funding a challenger for mayor that can bring this thing home.

Nenshi in office may be the most significant factor in the delay of the project announcement.

Mayor has one vote. If the majority of council wants it, it will happen.

Not from Calgary but doesn't look like they've voted out a sitting mayor since 1980 so probably wishful thinking to hope he doesn't win again.

[Ducay]

As much as I tire with some of his antics and things he's supported (*cough* bike lanes), I think he's as good of a Mayor as any city could ask to have. Dedicated, thoughtful, and hard working.

Hopefully he continues the hard line with the Flames. They've done nothing but act like the kid who wants to leave with their ball & bat after they don't get their way.

[powderjunkie]

Re: Backlund - I don't think any of us should expect a hockey player to be able to consider the nuance of this issue. To him, it's just a shiny new locker room and practice rink. Any of us would be excited at the prospect of the city building us a new workplace with gold plated toilets. Most players are too thick to comprehend escrow.

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I believe the csec is positioning council to defeat opposition politicians before attempting to go through with a plan.

Most if the council already wants this to happen. Other major power brokers want this to happen as well. There is a huge swell of momentum amongst private interests in Calgary to get this project going.

The next step is finding and funding a challenger for mayor that can bring this thing home.

Nenshi in office may be the most significant factor in the delay of the project announcement.

I think your first three points are all accurate, but I'm not sure about your last sentence. I think it may be true, but not in the way that I sense you think. IMO Nenshi is only looking out for the best interests of the city and making sure the deal is done right.

I think the most significant factor in the delay is actually the Flames themselves. For an organization that is so loudly saying how URGENT/NECESSARY a new arena is, they sure don't seem to be doing a lot to proactively solve the 'problem'. The truth is, it is not at all urgent - they can/will wait as long as it takes to get the best deal for themselves.

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

If he doesn't find a way to make this arena deal work, I'd say his political leash becomes pretty short. Plenty of people I know that think the same way. I'd rather see that done than a "Peace Bridge" for instance.

I don't want to derail the thread, but IMO the Peace Bridge does more for the identity of this city than the Flames. It may seem a crazy thing to people on a hockey forum, but we need to remember that this city is made up of a tiny proportion of die hard fans, a fairly small portion of casual fans, and a vast majority of people who are largely indifferent, but most of whom would take up the torch on a playoff run.

I'm not saying the feeling at the Peace Bridge is anywhere near the same as the Red Mile (it's simply impossible to compare with something that has happened once in the last 25 years), but there is an indescribable energy around the peace bridge 12/7/365. I don't want to go too far trying to describe the 'feels' about it, but everyone there is happy, because they are outdoors, social and/or active. Call it hippie-dippy #### all you want, but IMO the symbolic/intangible ROI on the bridge is actually pretty substantial.

I'll pistol-whip myself for using the term, but I think the Peace Bridge contributes more to making this city 'world-class' than an arena ever will. I'm not actually suggesting this, but an argument could be made to drop $175M on 7 more bridges to make Calgary similar to Paris in terms of a "city of bridges". I'm sure I'm not articulating the nuance of what I'm trying to say very well, so I look forward to retorts of "why not just build 499 more blue rings"?

[Flash Walken]

^good post.

To clarify, I think the Flames have been trying to wait Nenshi out, and are prepared to wait for a new mayor if necessary, in order to get a maximum public contribution.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

^good post.

To clarify, I think the Flames have been trying to wait Nenshi out, and are prepared to wait for a new mayor if necessary, in order to get a maximum public contribution.

If that's the case, then they are even dumber than we all thought

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Fourth, spare me the sports vs. libraries argument, because no one is making it. There's a big difference between reasonable library facilities scattered throughout a city for maximum utility and blowing the wad on a 9 digit vanity project and then crying poor for something else that the city relies on.

"spare me the vanity projects"

* insists on supporting a vanity project that suits his own interests*

[underGRADFlame]

IMO this is a reasonable library facility


This is not.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

IMO this is a reasonable library facility

This is not.

Multiple floors and architecture more current than 1950 is "unreasonable"?

I think plenty of people think the Saddledome is reasonable, myself included. Settles that then, I guess. Flames should we how reasonable it is!

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Tyler

If that's the case, then they are even dumber than we all thought

You have no idea how dumb some us of think/know Ken King is! Don't go putting words in our mouths!

[Erick Estrada]

I like that library. More facilities like that and a new arena/stadium the better for the city IMO.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

IMO this is a reasonable library facility


This is not.

#### the ####ing flames, I'll take option 2 every time.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

IMO this is a reasonable library facility


This is not.

The view from Airdrie.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I like that library. More facilities like that and a new arena/stadium the better for the city IMO.

It's amazing how many people would live in a grey box, amongst a sea of other grey boxes, for the rest of their lives if given the chance.