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

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

In the year 2023, why wouldn't be covering every new building's roof with solar panels.

Calgary is as sunny as any place.

It would make a lot of sense. Make them do it for free in exchange for calling it Tesla Place.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Wasn't Climate Pledge $1.1b and it was also a "hybrid" project for lack of a better term. It was mostly a new construction project but they also incorporated parts of the previous structure.

It's pretty old school concrete concourse and kind of underwhelming until you get into the arena which is really nice as the glass windows are a really nice touch and pretty unique for an arena.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

In the year 2023, why wouldn't be covering every new building's roof with solar panels.

Calgary is as sunny as any place.

Careful, Murray Edwards might back out.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Because of the level of innovation and fan experience expectations that change over the course of a decade, much less over a century.

I'd say for the most part, skyscrapers are primarily utilitarian in nature. But an arena/event centre is so much more and the unknown complexities around future-proofing such a building for that long of time is just not feasible.

Please elaborate on the level of innovation in fan experience.

Cause last I checked, most of the fan experience is sitting in a seat, watching a sport, beer in hand, with a big jumbotron in the centre. I don't see a lot of other innovation going on...?

[Matata]

Covering a new arena with solar panels would cost ~$2-5m for the PV panel system and then maybe a million+ (? not so sure about this number) more to improve the structure to support them. It's typically 15-20 years before the panels pay for themselves, add the cost of improving structural systems and could be looking at a 30+ year payback.

The PV generated would cover about 25-50% of the total electricity consumed, while still using NG for heating. Ice rinks are absolute energy pigs, keeping the ice sheet frozen while it absorbs heat from lighting, ambient air, skaters, zambonis, plus de-humidification takes an absurd amount of energy.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

It would make a lot of sense. Make them do it for free in exchange for calling it Tesla Place.

Will it catch fire?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Matata

Covering a new arena with solar panels would cost ~$2-5m for the PV panel system and then maybe a million+ (? not so sure about this number) more to improve the structure to support them. It's typically 15-20 years before the panels pay for themselves, add the cost of improving structural systems and could be looking at a 30+ year payback.

The PV generated would cover about 25-50% of the total electricity consumed, while still using NG for heating. Ice rinks are absolute energy pigs, keeping the ice sheet frozen while it absorbs heat from lighting, ambient air, skaters, zambonis, plus de-humidification takes an absurd amount of energy.

But they can generate green cred by putting it into the CSEC ESG report.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

So what's the difference between renovating an existing building for $1B vs. building a brand new one for $1B?

Financially...looks like nothing except thst you might have valuable land with a major deterrent holding back its value when you build new and leave an abandoned old building. Location and ability to get the land often leads to new facilities vs rebuilding old ones. New Construction is always more efficient. But in 25 years when it needs a substantial refurbishment maybe Calgary is feeling more of a Land crunch to look at refurbishing and renovating this arena. That and Concrete being the Oilers in terms of Primary Structure choice. Steel can be repaired, reworked, repurposed. Concrete is trash....

So pick the right location...and make it something that can be renovated in the future and it will ultimately cost less. Edmonton is dealing with how to demo the old Coloseum now...and I don't think they had that as cost for the arena.

[bdubbs]

A while ago (10+ years~), I went to SoCal for a couple hockey games when the Flames went down for a road trip, and while I don't remember much about the games themselves, other than that the Flames lost both games, I still do remember how much I was impressed by the Staples Centre and surrounding area, when compared to the Dome. Honda Center wasn't anything special itself but it was really dirt cheap.

Arena experience really matters to me, anyway.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Will it catch fire?

Team needs to be hot going into the playoffs.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Matata

Covering a new arena with solar panels would cost ~$2-5m for the PV panel system and then maybe a million+ (? not so sure about this number) more to improve the structure to support them. It's typically 15-20 years before the panels pay for themselves, add the cost of improving structural systems and could be looking at a 30+ year payback.

The PV generated would cover about 25-50% of the total electricity consumed, while still using NG for heating. Ice rinks are absolute energy pigs, keeping the ice sheet frozen while it absorbs heat from lighting, ambient air, skaters, zambonis, plus de-humidification takes an absurd amount of energy.

Maybe we should take climate change seriously, and governments should mandate the panels on new builds, regardless of ROI payback timeline.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

A while ago (10+ years~), I went to SoCal for a couple hockey games when the Flames went down for a road trip, and while I don't remember much about the games themselves, other than that the Flames lost both games, I still do remember how much I was impressed by the Staples Centre and surrounding area, when compared to the Dome. Honda Center wasn't anything special itself but it was really dirt cheap.

Arena experience really matters to me, anyway.

Strange, in my experience buying Flames tickets when they come here, the Kings are a better team with a better arena and their tickets are cheaper.

The only better thing about Honda Center is the cheaper parking. There's nothing to do currently on that side of the freeway. Angel Stadium, Disney, all that is on the western side. But they are building OC Vibe to change that and it looks exciting. https://www.ocvibe.com/

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Strange, in my experience buying Flames tickets when they come here, the Kings are a better team with a better arena and their tickets are cheaper.

The only better thing about Honda Center is the cheaper parking. There's nothing to do currently on that side of the freeway. Angel Stadium, Disney, all that is on the western side. But they are building OC Vibe to change that and it looks exciting. https://www.ocvibe.com/

Mis-read the post

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Jiggy

Kings ticket sales are in USD. Flames in CAD. Plus supply and demand.

They were comparing Kings tickets to Ducks tickets. Both in USD.

[Matata]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Maybe we should take climate change seriously, and governments should mandate the panels on new builds, regardless of ROI payback timeline.

The government does mandate a much, much more energy efficient building than it did 10 years ago (technically it's up to the provinces, but they are all following the same general trend). You can no longer build a building with poor energy performance in most of Canada now and the cost of new builds has gone up significantly.

It's a complicated issue that cannot be considered in a bubble. The increased cost of new builds is one of the factors pushing affordable housing out of reach of many people, PV systems can increase total construction budgets by 10-20%. We're also limited by how effectively the current grid can absorb electricity generated by private PV systems.

Most buildings get more out of spending a fraction of the cost of PV on improving mechanical systems instead. At this point, it would be a wildly impractical thing to mandate, maybe in 10-20 years?

[bdubbs]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Strange, in my experience buying Flames tickets when they come here, the Kings are a better team with a better arena and their tickets are cheaper.

The only better thing about Honda Center is the cheaper parking. There's nothing to do currently on that side of the freeway. Angel Stadium, Disney, all that is on the western side. But they are building OC Vibe to change that and it looks exciting. https://www.ocvibe.com/

I should clarify -- the prices were all cheaper than Calgary tix for where I got seats. I ended up with lower bowl seats at both rinks for ridiculous prices. LA was a better experience than ANA though. I remember being blown away that they had that outdoor rink in the middle of LA even though it was still warm out by our Calgary winter standards.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

I should clarify -- the prices were all cheaper than Calgary tix for where I got seats. I ended up with lower bowl seats at both rinks for ridiculous prices. LA was a better experience than ANA though. I remember being blown away that they had that outdoor rink in the middle of LA even though it was still warm out by our Calgary winter standards.

Yeah, I agree. The Flames game in December here, I got a premier level ticket against the Kings for around $50. In Anaheim I had to pay around $85 I think for a slightly worse seat, even though they had a terrible team this year.

The only times I have been to Flames games in Calgary are special events like Iginla's jersey retirement night or Game 5 last year against the Oilers, so of course I expected to pay way more.

I guess the Kings and Ducks aren't really big draws in Calgary either, but when the Flames come here, it's the only time I really want to go to a hockey game.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by accord1999

Regarding washrooms, here's Steve Ballmer proudly touting how many toilets and urinals his new arena is going to have:

Holy crap, Steve Ballmer is still crazy. That's a name I have not heard in a long time.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Holy crap, Steve Ballmer is still crazy. That's a name I have not heard in a long time.

The Clippers are celebrating toilets, which surprises no one.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Holy crap, Steve Ballmer is still crazy. That's a name I have not heard in a long time.

Aren't his arms longer than Rhett Warreners?