New Downtown Calgary Arena

[*Stardust*]

Just wrote a friendly yet detailed email to Ken King on why the new arena should be located at Railtown and the benefits of having it there in terms of transit, walking distance to east village, etc.

Don't know if he'll write back or if he even cares, but it makes me feel better. Who knows, maybe he'll listen

[Policy Wonk]

I would really like to see it go somewhere that really needs the outside boost.

Firestone is horribly desolate and in the US the West Village would be a Superfund site. The potential uses for those locations are limited.

The L.A. Convention Center, Staples Center and L.A. Live were built over top of a slum of rundown apartments, used car dealerships, disreputable motels and an abandoned transit garage. And left to their own devices they would probably still be there.

Opportunities to scrape something bare that needs to be scraped shouldn't be wasted.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by *Stardust*

Just wrote a friendly yet detailed email to Ken King on why the new arena should be located at Railtown and the benefits of having it there in terms of transit, walking distance to east village, etc.

Don't know if he'll write back or if he even cares, but it makes me feel better. Who knows, maybe he'll listen

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

I would really like to see it go somewhere that really needs the outside boost.

Firestone is horribly desolate and in the US the West Village would be a Superfund site. The potential uses for those locations are limited.

The L.A. Convention Center, Staples Center and L.A. Live were built over top of a slum of rundown apartments, used car dealerships, disreputable motels and an abandoned transit garage. And left to their own devices they would probably still be there.

Opportunities to scrape something bare that needs to be scraped shouldn't be wasted.

I agree with Policy Wonk that this is an opportunity to do something great for a different area. My vote remains Firestone, with West Village as #2.

Railtown needs development, but there are better things to do with that area than stadium + arena.

I may need to write Ken King also.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by suburbia

I agree with Policy Wonk that this is an opportunity to do something great for a different area. My vote remains Firestone, with West Village as #2.

While selecting Firestone would provide an excellent opportunity for the regeneration of an area in need, it would be also represent a lost opportunity to build off of the energy and amenities emerging in the Core and Beltline. We shouldn't select one option simply because it provides us with an opportunity to engage in regeneration.

[fusili]

I agree both West Village and Railtown will do well without a stadium. But we also need to consider how well the stadium will be served by transit and how well it integrates into other areas. Firestone may be a nice location, but any services built nearby would be dead 95% of the time. A railtown location, on the other hand will have restaurants and pubs that would be supported by the local population otherwise. The same goes for the Big 4, and West Village, to a lesser extent. I think Firestone Park should be a TOD office cluster.

[H.E.Pennypacker]

A stadium at Railtown, done right, could really boost the pedestrian link between Inglewood/downtown and better the connection between the EV/Victoria Park

[*Stardust*]

Originally Posted by H.E.Pennypacker

A stadium at Railtown, done right, could really boost the pedestrian link between Inglewood/downtown and better the connection between the EV/Victoria Park

Amen brother. I mentioned that in my email to Mr. King
Send him an email as well! Haha

[Luk_o]

Firestone would be a huge mistake. Must have this in the core area within walking distance to the good stuff.

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by fusili

I agree both West Village and Railtown will do well without a stadium. But we also need to consider how well the stadium will be served by transit and how well it integrates into other areas. Firestone may be a nice location, but any services built nearby would be dead 95% of the time. A railtown location, on the other hand will have restaurants and pubs that would be supported by the local population otherwise. The same goes for the Big 4, and West Village, to a lesser extent. I think Firestone Park should be a TOD office cluster.

I can't see that happening without a boost as Policy Wonk stated.

I don't know much about the subject , but if a stadium/arena were built in Firestone park would the surroundings property value increase? If so, by how much? 10%? 50%? 100%+? Couldn't the CMLC step in and finance the redevelopment for the area based around the arena/stadium?

[speedog]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

Edmonton got rid of the CN track through downtown, although it had been effectively abandoned for decades at that point other than the occasional VIA Outhouse on Rails passing through.

Yes, but I'm not sure if what was taken out in Edmonton would be considered a main line - this was more a case of a yard being shut down, no?

[fusili]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

I can't see that happening without a boost as Policy Wonk stated.

I don't know much about the subject , but if a stadium/arena were built in Firestone park would the surroundings property value increase? If so, by how much? 10%? 50%? 100%+? Couldn't the CMLC step in and finance the redevelopment for the area based around the arena/stadium?

I think Firestone suffers from contamination and sanitary sewer capacity issues, not a lack of needing a "boost".

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by fusili

I think Firestone suffers from contamination and sanitary sewer capacity issues, not a lack of needing a "boost".

Yeah, makes sense, it was an industrial site. So do the issues(sewer & contamination) need to be addressed if this site were to become a TOD office cluster?

P.S. Here I go again, rehashing an old, pointless debate and derailing a thread, my speciality lol I say pointless because nothing will happen to this site until the rapture.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by fusili

I think Firestone suffers from contamination and sanitary sewer capacity issues, not a lack of needing a "boost".

Those can be dealt with. Railtown suffers from contamination also. Any site, downtown or otherwise, would likely require sewer upgrades. It is a particularly major challenge where there is high density in areas originally constructed for modest density.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Those can be dealt with. Railtown suffers from contamination also. Any site, downtown or otherwise, would likely require sewer upgrades. It is a particularly major challenge where there is high density in areas originally constructed for modest density.

Ken King will normally write back but I'm not sure that writing him about locations is of any benefit. If after 7+ years they haven't picked a site by now we may as well concede to playing in the dome for another 25 years.

[Spring2008]

Firestone?? Why would the owners sink hundreds of millions or even billions and chose a remote location in the NE?

I can't see this going anywhere but Railtown or West Village. Though I prefer Railtown, my instincts are telling me this is getting built in WV.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by speedog

Yes, but I'm not sure if what was taken out in Edmonton would be considered a main line - this was more a case of a yard being shut down, no?

The original CN line through Edmonton was of massively diminished importance after merger of the Grand Trunk Railroad was merged into CN and it's remaining importance diminished gradually as passenger rail itself diminished and after the final round of cuts to VIA Rail there was just no point in maintaining the line. VIA Rail moved to the Edmonton Amshack and the track and associated facilities were eliminated.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Firestone?? Why would the owners sink hundreds of millions or even billions and chose a remote location in the NE?

Ten minutes from downtown by C-Train is remote?

[bt04ku]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

Ten minutes from downtown by C-Train is remote?

You couldn't build a very big TOD on that site with an arena or stadium never mind both so the relative lack of amenities would just create a place where people commute in and commute out as quickly as possible (which wouldn't be quick at all really because everybody who lives in the southeast, southwest and northwest would be standing on the same platform waiting for the same train) and because you've completely isolated the population that would be willing to walk to a downtown arena but now can't walk to Firestone.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by fusili

I agree both West Village and Railtown will do well without a stadium. But we also need to consider how well the stadium will be served by transit and how well it integrates into other areas. Firestone may be a nice location, but any services built nearby would be dead 95% of the time. .

Because a hypothetical facility at Firestone would be something along the lines of the Silverdome? Even something like whatever the area around the US Airways Centre and Chase Field is called wouldn't be too bad for that location.

I don't see how plopping a giant concrete bunker into a location like Railtown, or worse... two of them... is anything but a waste of space.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by bt04ku

You couldn't build a very big TOD on that site with an arena or stadium never mind both so the relative lack of amenities would just create a place where people commute in and commute out as quickly as possible (which wouldn't be quick at all really because everybody who lives in the southeast, southwest and northwest would be standing on the same platform waiting for the same train) and because you've completely isolated the population that would be willing to walk to a downtown arena but now can't walk to Firestone.

L.A. Live doesn't empty out until well after 1:00 in the morning, even when nobody is playing. Any new stadium is going to be planned as an entertainment district rather than as a stand-alone building with acres of surface parking. It will be a destination itself.

And by the time there is a SELRT, we're going to be debating the location of the next Flames arena.