[News] UPD: Calgary City Council approves exploratory bid study for 2026 Olympics

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Fire

That would be so embarrassing for the city.

The Walmart Olympics - welcome to the new Calgary!

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by krazycanuck

Opening and closing ceremonies would be held at Stampede Grandstand

Whereas in the real world, Pyeongchang was required to build a 50,000-seat stadium exclusively for the opening and closing ceremonies, because no existing local venue met the IOC's requirements. The stadium cost $78 million to build and will be dismantled after the Olympics, having been used only twice.

Yeah, safe to say that the City of Calgary's cheapjack approach will not fly with the IOC, and those cost estimates will have to be revised upwards.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Whereas in the real world, Pyeongchang was required to build a 50,000-seat stadium exclusively for the opening and closing ceremonies, because no existing local venue met the IOC's requirements. The stadium cost $78 million to build and will be dismantled after the Olympics, having been used only twice.

Yeah, safe to say that the City of Calgary's cheapjack approach will not fly with the IOC, and those cost estimates will have to be revised upwards.

Again. If they say no, we say no. No one seems to understand the concept of leverage.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Again. If they say no, we say no. No one seems to understand the concept of leverage.

That's as it may be. But it's rather a stretch to think that the proposed bid and budget resemble anything the IOC would accept. I should think it was a foregone conclusion that the IOC would say no to the Corral and the Stampede grandstand.

[puffnstuff]

I havent read much of the thread but why wouldnt the opening/closing ceremonies be at McMahon?
And instead of the Corral, Winsport has a really nice 4000ish seat arena or even Max Bell that both have the bigger ice surface.

[Tyler]

They want these on the Stampede grounds because centralizing a majority of events on the grounds will help with security costs.

The problem however, is that most of the complexes on the grounds are freaking dumps

[Joborule]

If we can't do the opening/closing ceremonies at the Stampede Grandstand, which seems completely feasible and reasonable, just because the IOC wouldn't agree, then eff hosting the Olympics. Unless they want to pay for the venue themselves.

I do think that for second venue, we could do better? I figure with the feildhouse, they would be replacing the Norma Bush/Father Bauer arenas. The upgrade could be a suitable replacement?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Joborule

If we can't do the opening/closing ceremonies at the Stampede Grandstand, which seems completely feasible and reasonable, just because the IOC wouldn't agree, then eff hosting the Olympics. Unless they want to pay for the venue themselves.

Even in 1988, the ceremonies were held at McMahon Stadium, which then seated 38,205. The Stampede grandstand seats 17,000. It wouldn't even accommodate the VIPs and their entourages, let alone any paying members of the public. I see approximately zero chance that the IOC would approve it as a venue. It is neither feasible nor reasonable.

[Table 5]

I understand the need for a financially feasible games, but if it means having to host events in the Stampede Grandstand and Corral, I think I'd just rather pass and save us the embarrassment. It's the facility equivalent of carrying the olympic torch on the back of a pickup truck.

The Olympics don't have to be a grand display, but they shouldn't be cringe worthy.

[NiklasSundblad]

Originally Posted by Joborule

If we can't do the opening/closing ceremonies at the Stampede Grandstand, which seems completely feasible and reasonable, just because the IOC wouldn't agree, then eff hosting the Olympics. Unless they want to pay for the venue themselves.

I do think that for second venue, we could do better? I figure with the feildhouse, they would be replacing the Norma Bush/Father Bauer arenas. The upgrade could be a suitable replacement?

There were once plans to semi enclose the landing area of the ski-jumps to deal with wind. In my ideal Olympic scenario new regulation ski jumps are built at COP, and the landing bowl is basically built with enough seating stadium with capacity to host the ceremonies (Lillehammer did this, btw) and structures to limit crosswinds. Ideally the upper portion of the structure could be relocated as as a new sporting venue after the games.

[GordonBlue]

depends how far some of you want to take a budget Olympics.
Calgary will be on view to the world. do you really want to showcase the city with 3rd rate facilities? Are you hoping for a break even Olympics or a legacy project? you can't have both. you want it done on the cheap, Calgary will look cheap.

[Ducay]

Why all the hate for the Corral as a venue? It has proven to be a reliable arena; and if it is good enough for SuperDogs, its gotta be good enough for Olympic hockey.

[RM14]

The Corral is fine as a secondary hockey venue. The Hitmen playoff game 2 years ago was a fantastic experience.

[Ozy_Flame]

My god, the Corral as an Olympic venue. In 2026.

Kill me now.

[Muta]

I recall there was a recent design scheme for a renovated and upgraded Grandstand, where it would be covered.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Isn't this though the type of evolution the Olympics NEED to make?

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I understand the need for a financially feasible games, but if it means having to host events in the Stampede Grandstand and Corral, I think I'd just rather pass and save us the embarrassment. It's the facility equivalent of carrying the olympic torch on the back of a pickup truck.

The Olympics don't have to be a grand display, but they shouldn't be cringe worthy.

I'm not sure it would be that. There's a lot of open space to work with that you can install temporarily seating areas to make it enclosed, reach the minimum capacity, and look alright from an aesthetics and optic point of view.

Unless we're building a brand new football stadium itself for the Stamps within the next 8 years, we don't have options aside from the Grandstand and McMahon Stadium. I think since you only need to have a temporary structure for the ceremonies, it's not a bad idea if they want to centralize the main activities around the Stampede area.

[Muta]

LA to host the 2028 games at a cost of $5.3 billion. Interesting financial specifics are inside.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...731-story.html

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Muta

LA to host the 2028 games at a cost of $5.3 billion. Interesting financial specifics are inside.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...731-story.html

Interesting that the IOC has given about a $2 billion incentive to accept 2028 vs 2024 for LA.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by NiklasSundblad

There were once plans to semi enclose the landing area of the ski-jumps to deal with wind. In my ideal Olympic scenario new regulation ski jumps are built at COP, and the landing bowl is basically built with enough seating stadium with capacity to host the ceremonies (Lillehammer did this, btw) and structures to limit crosswinds. Ideally the upper portion of the structure could be relocated as as a new sporting venue after the games.

Really good idea but the ski jumps cannot be rebuilt to Normal and Large hill standards; the highways is now in the way,