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The Official Calgary Flames "New Arena" thread


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The announcement for a new arena, the location and a design is definitely long overdue...

 

The Saddledome is 31 years old and McMahon is 54 years old...   It's time for Ken King to quit talking and making promises and issuing quotes like this one from a few months back in the spring and just get it done instead...  "I can't tell you anything more for plans on a new facility other than we are planning one and we have been for years now"...   That's exactly the problem Ken King...   You've been talking about it for years...   Now it's time to deliver...   The fans that have been paying their hard earned dollars to support the teams deserve it...

 

 

One has to wonder if the design for a new arena will be anything like some of the ones that have been rumoured in the last year or so...

 

608752e107c4845e448c75e3bf3c9de8.png

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The announcement for a new arena, the location and a design is definitely long overdue...

 

The Saddledome is 31 years old and McMahon is 54 years old...   It's time for Ken King to quit talking and making promises and issuing quotes like this one from a few months back in the spring and just get it done instead...  "I can't tell you anything more for plans on a new facility other than we are planning one and we have been for years now"...   That's exactly the problem Ken King...   You've been talking about it for years...   Now it's time to deliver...   The fans that have been paying their hard earned dollars to support the teams deserve it...

 

 

One has to wonder if the design for a new arena will be anything like some of the ones that have been rumoured in the last year or so...

 

608752e107c4845e448c75e3bf3c9de8.png

 

Isn't that a football stadiuM?

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Isn't that a football stadiuM?

 

It's a multi-purpose site, which seems to be the way the Calgary Flames Limited Partnership that own the Flames and Stampeders, as well as the Hitmen and Roughnecks seems to have been leaning towards when it comes to a new building...

This one was said to be a part of the rumour of a potential bid by the Canadian Soccer Association for the 2026 World Cup...

It's a rendering of a "New Calgary Stadium" proposed for 2019, with a total capacity of 48,000 seats, 13,000 of them temporarily added for the purpose of the bid...

But...   Years have gone by now, and Ken King still seems to be over promising and under delivering...   We were supposed to have details on a new arena what, four years ago?   The article in the Calgary Sun back at the end of March made a comparison between renderings of a new stadium and bigfoot...   http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/03/26/new-stadium-renderings-may-have-more-in-common-with-bigfoot-than-football

I`m starting to wonder which will happen first...   Evidence of bigfoot being found, or Ken King finally giving us some concrete answers on plans for a new arena/stadium...

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I would like to see the Flames buyout the Pumphouse Area just West of downtown and develop the area.  That way they can remove themselves from the shadow the Stampede, remain centrally located, and develop a forgotten area of Calgary for commercial purposes.

 

As nice a location as that would be, the traffic issues this would cause would be 100x worse than what the west leg of the LRT created.

 

We've already got 2 other (fairly recent) threads about a new arena on the go...don't think we really need another one, especially if all we'll end up doing is re-hashing old debates.

 

Saddledome Sadness - http://fans.flames.nhl.com/community/topic/20786-saddledome-sadness/

 

New Arena "video leak" - http://fans.flames.nhl.com/community/topic/20466-new-arena-video-leak/

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It is frustrating that arena plans have been delayed because I remember about two years ago king saying at the season ticket meeting that they would likely have an announcement in the coming months and as I said that was years ago. However, reading between the lines of he last ticket holder meeting I went to I think get delay is because the flames bought the stamps and had to re do their plans to include two facilities. He skipped over it but I'm 90% certain that I heard king say three things about the plans. 1- it will be a duel facilitiy 2- it will be more then just an area or facility project and 3 it will be part of a revitalization. He didn't expand on that and didn't clarify that by duel facility it means both hockey and football but that's what I took from it. I also am almost positive it will not be on the stampede grounds anymore and it will be closer to downtown as the stampede wants that land

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c82ac1cd0fc8999eca7e404e923efa86.png

 

CALGARY- It’s time for the Calgary Flames to get a new home—at least, according to the team’s president of hockey operations.

While speaking to a sold out crowd at the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning, Brian Burke said a new facility to replace the Saddledome is needed sooner than later.

“It’s embarrassing,” he said, of the aging facility. “There is one building worse than ours…the Islanders.”

Saying it was a state of the art building back in 1988, he adds it simply doesn’t measure up anymore.

“Lower bowls in a newer arena are nine thousand seats minimum. Ours is what, six? So we are not generating revenues like other NHL buildings are.”

Burke said the whole city could benefit from a new facility.

“The weight load that the roof will bear is tiny, so a lot of the big stage acts don’t come here. So it’s not just what a hockey team gets, what it adds to a hockey team, it’s what it does to a downtown core.1674ee87123e99f2393d949400b6a805.png

The idea does have some support, including from the business community and at least one city councillor.

“A facility like this in inner city only grows the vibrancy and dynamic energy of a downtown or inner city core,” says Adam Legge, president of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. “All the infrastructure to support those things, hotels, restaurants, are already there.”

“I was three-years-old when the Saddledome was built,” adds Ward 8 councillor Evan Woolley. “I would like to think I have grown up since then, and I know the city has.”

Despite talk about a new arena, the city has yet to receive any formal proposals.

 

Original article with video is here...   http://globalnews.ca/news/1376991/brian-burke-says-saddledome-is-embarrassing-wants-new-arena/

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would like to see the Flames buyout the Pumphouse Area just West of downtown and develop the area.  That way they can remove themselves from the shadow the Stampede, remain centrally located, and develop a forgotten area of Calgary for commercial purposes.

 

 

This is one of the current proposed locations......   They are taking a serious look at that area

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  • 5 months later...

The announcement for a new arena, the location and a design is definitely long overdue...

 

The Saddledome is 31 years old and McMahon is 54 years old...   It's time for Ken King to quit talking and making promises and issuing quotes like this one from a few months back in the spring and just get it done instead...  "I can't tell you anything more for plans on a new facility other than we are planning one and we have been for years now"...   That's exactly the problem Ken King...   You've been talking about it for years...   Now it's time to deliver...   The fans that have been paying their hard earned dollars to support the teams deserve it...

 

 

One has to wonder if the design for a new arena will be anything like some of the ones that have been rumoured in the last year or so...

 

608752e107c4845e448c75e3bf3c9de8.png

This would be ideal. What a wonderful concept. This needs to get done now!

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The West Village is a really bad idea for a stadium site. The interchange of Bow Trail and Crowchild is high volume, but already has cpacity issues at peak. Also, the road placements for 9th and 5th ave. entering and exiting downtown, even if maximally realigned don't allow sufficient land use to allw a large-sized stadium and sufficient parking (not to mention the intersection troubles). It does have transit access, but sadly most people who come to games still use cars. There's also the issue of the 14th street redesign to consider. That area is better suited to an arts/cuture district mixed with condos and a riverfront pedestrian area much ilke East Village.

 

There's been a lot of debate about a good site on the skyscraper/city design forum I'm a member of. General concensus appears to be that the best places would be as part of the northern Stampeed Ground redevelpments just north of where the Saddle Dome is now as there is acceptable transit access, and good north-south access from a couple directions, or on the current McMahon stadium land. There's lots of space to accomodate both a larger arena, and good north-south and east-west access points already established with space for more interchange access (though there is a distincty NIMBY issues with some residents).

 

The problem with both is it involves either dealing with the Stampeed or University to approve this. But there isn't really much unclaimed land in the center of the city to accomodate a project of that size, and it has to be near transit, so options are sadly quite limited.

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As a home owner in Sunalta, i can't wait for my property value to sky rocket from a new Flames arena in the GSL/Greyhound area.   10th ave West of 14th ST can really use some re-development with bars, sports bars, and night life.  Surely, some of that action would spill onto 14th St SW as well giving the area some facelift.  Right now, the entire area has replaced the old East Village as drug dealer central.  Low income multi-plex condos/apartments plague the area.

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http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/nhl-commissioner-and-nenshi-exchange-pleasantries-new-arena-talks-deferred-1.2212825

 

Gary Buttman meets with Nenshi to ease talks about a new Arena, Nenshi says No. Article states that the Saddledome is the oldest NHL arena, however I though that Madison Square Garden which was built in the 60's and host to the Ranger is? 

 

It would be nice to have a location secured and firm.  Like for example, if they are going to use the Greyhound land, then they need a find a new location for the Greyhound station and that takes a year or three.  The earlier they can pin down the location, the better.  I mean, understandably, with crude prices so low, municipal and provincial budgest are restraint to the max.  The Flames will have to be patient and wait for crude prices to recover.

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They should just refurbish the Saddledome if they don't want to build  a new arena.  

I suspect that the floods and all the money and time invested into getting the saddledome back up and running pushed back plans for a new arena by a few years. I do not know for sure but I suspect that is a good  portion of their thinking.

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I suspect that the floods and all the money and time invested into getting the saddledome back up and running pushed back plans for a new arena by a few years. I do not know for sure but I suspect that is a good  portion of their thinking.

Wasn't the damage to the Saddledome covered by insurance? I don't think there was a big reinvestment of money to offset the damage. Regardless, the Flames need a new home.

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I also heard that was all insurance so Flames were out very little or perhaps no money.

 

IMO, the delay is because they are trying to plan a bigger project that will involve both a football and hockey arena. Before the Flames purchased the Stamps Ken King was bragging how they were "very close" to outlining their plans, then they bought the Stamps and suddenly it changed to "we are not there yet, but we'll let you know". A few times at season ticket holder meetings he has let it slip that this project is both a revitalization and project bigger then just an arena, and the last one I went to he dropped a pretty serious hint that it was going to be both an arena and a stadium. I can't remember the phrase he used but it lead me to believe their plans include both a new arena and a new football stadium.

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A new stadium and arena would be nice. The current facilities are pathetic compared to other CFL, and NHL facilities. I know that the Russians are building a soccer Stadium and hockey arena attached together to form one giant spectacle of a sports facility for the next FIFFA tornument. The flames should do the same. I can't remember which game it was, but Betman himself came to one of our games, and there was talk by the  Sports net crew that Ken King had several proposals to make to Betman regarding a new arena. Allegedly the most practical proposal is the area between Sunalta, and the Greyhound building\station.  

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  • 3 weeks later...

“I’m not interested in public money subsidizing solely private profit.” - Purple People Eater

 

Neither am I!

 

Simple solution - City of Calgary becomes a partner based on how much is invested.

Profits are reaped accordingly.

 

Or it could become like a loan where say 10% of ALL gross revenue goes back to the city until the public funding is reimbursed.

 

Jesse Kline: How’s that new rink working out, Edmonton? - nationalpost.com

 

If the Flames' management/owners hold the city hostage ala Edmonton then "good riddance Flames!"

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I would like to see the Flames buyout the Pumphouse Area just West of downtown and develop the area.  That way they can remove themselves from the shadow the Stampede, remain centrally located, and develop a forgotten area of Calgary for commercial purposes.

Would rather see them go to the Iron Mills area in the NE, North of the airport.  Forget centrally-located.  With #2 and Stoney Trail access is great and you could do some mega-development there....

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