Calgary Flames New Arena Update

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by lilmira
How does a place like Florida sustain a professional hockey team? No one really cares about hockey there and yet they have a stadium about 10 times nicer than the Saddle Dome, tickets are dirt cheap compared to ours.

And stadium was empty during playoff.

[rage2]

The Panthers lose money every year, but the ownership group makes money every year through NHL revenue sharing (to minimize team loss) as well as revenue sharing deal with the arena for concerts and other events which is only triggered if the Panthers lose money.

[lilmira]

For concerts and events, it has to compete with AA Arena which is at a much better location. BB&T Center is literally buttfuck nowhere. It's just strange when you compare it to Calgary where we are struggling to build a new arena. Yeah market is different there but it doesn't look that lucrative from the cover. Of course this is Miami so everything is fucked up like Vegas. We can end it here if it's derailing. I just find it interesting.

[speedog]

Almost a year with no activity in this thread but now Ken King has raised the ante, build the Flames an arena or they'll just move - link. Most likely this will be a prominent issue what with the upcoming municipal election, good timing Ken.

[adam c]

Originally posted by speedog
Almost a year with no activity in this thread but now Ken King has raised the ante, build the Flames an arena or they'll just move - link. Most likely this will be a prominent issue what with the upcoming municipal election, good timing Ken.

Do the flames need a new arena, technically no... would it be nice to have a new arena, yes completely
Calgary sells out every game (or close to it) so it's not like fans aren't going and seats are empty like in some of the southern states

Threatening to move because they aren't getting their way is such a douche move just like Johnny holding out for a big pay day and not living up to it like last season

[revelations]

good bye Ken ..... I think many people in our city have other, much more pressing concerns right now.

If he'd done this in 2013, maybe it might have had some momentum.

[Tik-Tok]

April 1st news... He should have said they were moving to Saskatoon, and blamed the NDP for it.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
April 1st news... He should have said they were moving to Saskatoon, and blamed the NDP for it.

The date is irrelevant, Ken has said the same thing in other interviews earlier this past week as well.

[finboy]

Then move them, I don't see most calgarian's blinking on this issue given the current economy

[spikerS]

Originally posted by finboy
Then move them, I don't see most calgarian's blinking on this issue given the current economy

They elected the NDP...

[speedog]

Originally posted by spikerS


They elected the NDP...

Not they but many for sure.

[leftwing]

Originally posted by adam c


Do the flames need a new arena, technically no... would it be nice to have a new arena, yes completely
Calgary sells out every game (or close to it) so it's not like fans aren't going and seats are empty like in some of the southern states

Threatening to move because they aren't getting their way is such a douche move just like Johnny holding out for a big pay day and not living up to it like last season

Its not just for hockey though. How many people missed out on Garth Brooks because they couldn't drive to Edmonton for one of his NINE shows? That will become a trend now that Edmonton has such a nice facility to host; Why would any musician come play at the shitty old Dome when they can stop in Edmonton and give a better show and still sell out? Ill bet Eric Church isn't keen on coming back. The revenue generated by a show like that must be well above 500K in just liquor and food sales alone.

In my opinion the roughly 200$/person ($240,000,000/1,200,000 population) it would cost the taxpayer to build this thing will be worth it once you can go to an event and not have to wait 15+ mins to use the washroom or get a drink or food.

Threatening to leave because the city won't play ball is the same as every oil company that leaves Alberta because of the unfavourable conditions. Its just a business move. Surely it is an empty threat at this point but it is a reality that if the city isn't willing to help get an arena built, that is really the only option for the Flames organization.

[kertejud2]

It's $440M. Not including remediation and infrastructure of the area. So it will work out to well over $500 a person by the end.

Sure if you're a bachelor living the high life that might seem a bargain, but asking a family of four to be paying $2K+ for the priviledge of getting to pay the user fee on what will be ridiculously marked up tickets to gain entrance to a building a team owned by two billionaires won't be paying property tax on so they can buy overpriced food, might be a bit of a harder sell.


We could get a hundred more cycle track networks for that.

[rage2]

Originally posted by kertejud2
It's $440M. Not including remediation and infrastructure of the area. So it will work out to well over $500 a person by the end.

Sure if you're a bachelor living the high life that might seem a bargain, but asking a family of four to be paying $2K+ for the priviledge of getting to pay the user fee on what will be ridiculously marked up tickets to gain entrance to a building a team owned by two billionaires won't be paying property tax on so they can buy overpriced food, might be a bit of a harder sell.


We could get a hundred more cycle track networks for that.

Woah, they changed property taxes from valuation to household occupancy?

End of the day, it's business. The owners aren't printing money from the team in the grand scheme of things, but the appreciation in valuation of the team. Even if KK didn't say it, the likelihood of a sale and move is real, especially with the weakness of our dollar. It's the early stages of the Seattle Supersonics being played out.

As for concerts, that's been a real problem for years now even before the arena talks from the Flames ownership group as show sets have gotten elaborate. I hate going to Edmonton for concerts, but no choice these days. Saying there's no public benefit from a new arena aside from hockey fans is simply short sighted.

[vengie]

The cost of the creosote remediation will just continue to rise. That area of town is a massive eyesore and wasted land in its current form.

They have the chance to remediate it now. Why not act on it?

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by vengie
The cost of the creosote remediation will just continue to rise. That area of town is a massive eyesore and wasted land in its current form.

They have the chance to remediate it now. Why not act on it?

What is going to pay for it?

The East Village remediation was part of that CRL so the development the remediation allows is what paid for that. The proposed CRL here requires full development immediately and is only going to pay for the arena itself. It was a non-starter as soon as it was included.

They have the chance to remediate whenever they want, it's paying for it that's the issue. and the arena makes it more difficult to pay for, not easier.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by speedog
Almost a year with no activity in this thread but now Ken King has raised the ante, build the Flames an arena or they'll just move - link. Most likely this will be a prominent issue what with the upcoming municipal election, good timing Ken.

Comes across as simple posturing rather than a threat, their actual ownership group has said they aren't going anywhere.

Frankly I'm tired of the posturing on both sides. Between Nenshi attacking the plans and calling it dead in the water, to that rat Gary Bettman coming in and calling out the city for not doing it, to King being his usual idiotic self. How about you all stop playing games and put together a game plan?

Can't wait to read more on the Victoria Park plan

[killramos]

Edwards doesn't even live in Canada anymore. Don't be naive. They will move if that's the best go forward option.

These guys do this for bragging rights, and the saddledome is nothing to be bragging about. If they can walk away from this flush and move on to the next thing no skin off their back.

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by rage2

Woah, they changed property taxes from valuation to household occupancy?

When people break out the '$X per person' angle that is how it goes. Somebody's got to cover the kids' share in such an example.

[Buster]

I don't want the Flames to move. I'm a fan.

But I'll be damned if this city isn't too smart to get extorted out of a billion dollars by Bettman, a bunch of oil tycoons, and a bunch of toothless sweaty guys who can hit a piece of rubber with a glorified fishing road.