New Downtown Calgary Arena

[McBuilderson]

Originally Posted by ggopher

Regina's new stadium will cost $278.2 million and seats 33, 000. But to add on a retractable roof would have cost $100 million more. Sure it might be nice a few days to have a covered stadium, and it would draw a few more events per year. But not enough to justify an extra $100 million.

Calgary's time to step up and be one of the big cities in Canada and honestly North America is now. In my opinion this about taking us to the next level as much as it as about providing the fans what they want (reprieve from fall Calgary weather). This won't be just for football...this will be used by many other uses and bring us pride and attention if done correctly which will only benefit the image of Calgary as being recognized with the likes of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. If we built a similar stadium in Calgary that is being built in Regina or has been built Winnipeg, Hamilton... what does that say about Calgary and it's own image of it's self ? We need to make the statement we are a big dog...not only with the big cities in Canada but cities in North America.

We are what we say we are... If you build it they will come!

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by 93JC

Anybody who believes that tripe is in for one hell of a disappointment.

Let's keep the trolling to a minimum. Unless you care to explain yourself, I'll take what's been publicly stated for now.

[craner]

^Yeah, what's the deal with the negativity?
We haven't even seen anything yet, all we can comment on is rumours .

[craner]

Originally Posted by ggopher

Regina's new stadium will cost $278.2 million and seats 33, 000. But to add on a retractable roof would have cost $100 million more. Sure it might be nice a few days to have a covered stadium, and it would draw a few more events per year. But not enough to justify an extra $100 million.

Only $100 million more for a retractable roof seems like a bargain to me.
Retractable roof would be perfect. If the only choice was permanent roof vs. no roof I would choose the latter (even after yesterday's game).

[craner]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

...by the the the NHL Finals roll around, everyone is tired of the indoors and wants to get outside.

This is a very good point and certainly is true for myself.
I totally agree with starting the CFL season in May and ending in October.

[Surrealplaces]

It's always bothered me that the CFL season starts so late and the most important games take place in the middle of blizzards.

A few years ago some local radio sports guys were griping about low attendance numbers at a Western Final game. Some guy phoned in and said he'd gone to games in the middle of summer but didn't want to sit freezing in the stands for a playoff game, and that they should move the season up a month. The radio guys acted surprised that people would have that attitude, and they kept blathering on about 'tradition'.

I wanted to phone in and say 'wake the fuck up!'. Not all all traditions are the best ones.

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

Im sure they have their reasons, but it does seem silly that they only start their season at the end of June. IMO, they should be be playing by early May and finishing by mid-October. Id rather the crappy weather would be at the beginning of the season, instead of the end of it when they are the most important.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a total fair-weather CFL fan. The best part of a football game is the outdoor experience on a beautiful day, but if the weather sucks, no thanks. I don't mind making a wintery trek to the Saddledome...but that's because I don't also have to sit in the cold for 3 hours.

[J-D]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Ken King emphasized this is going to be one of the most multi-purpose sporting and entertainment complex in the world.

Without a retractable roof you have about 10 CFL games plus a few other events per year.

With a roof, potential for a field house, convention space, year round events and concerts, and MLS.

The multi purpose stadiums never seem to work out as well as single purpose venues. Different sports require vastly different seating arrangements.

[craner]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

It's always bothered me that the CFL season starts so late and the most important games take place in the middle of blizzards.

A few years ago some local radio sports guys were griping about low attendance numbers at a Western Final game. Some guy phoned in and said he'd gone to games in the middle of summer but didn't want to sit freezing in the stands for a playoff game, and that they should move the season up a month. The radio guys acted surprised that people would have that attitude, and they kept blathering on about 'tradition'.

I wanted to phone in and say 'wake the fuck up!'. Not all all traditions are the best ones.

Exactly!
Why continue with a bad tradition?

[speedog]

Originally Posted by J-D

The multi purpose stadiums never seem to work out as well as single purpose venues. Different sports require vastly different seating arrangements.

So Spring2008 quotes "Ken King emphasized this is going to be one of the most multi-purpose sporting and entertainment complex in the world." and you get multi-purpose stadium out of this?

Complex and stadium might very well mean two different things, no?

[93JC]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Let's keep the trolling to a minimum. Unless you care to explain yourself, I'll take what's been publicly stated for now.

Oh fuck off, I'm not trolling; I'm one of a handful of voices of reason around here.

You're cherry-picking very vague, trumped-up comments made to the media and making assertions based on your own extremely spurious guesswork, so I call bullshit. You're trolling as far as I'm concerned, spreading rumours and gossip like a 13-year-old girl.

Originally Posted by craner

^Yeah, what's the deal with the negativity?
We haven't even seen anything yet, all we can comment on is rumours .

Bold is my emphasis.

[Nudrock]

Originally Posted by McBuilderson

Calgary's time to step up and be one of the big cities in Canada and honestly North America is now. In my opinion this about taking us to the next level as much as it as about providing the fans what they want (reprieve from fall Calgary weather). This won't be just for football...this will be used by many other uses and bring us pride and attention if done correctly which will only benefit the image of Calgary as being recognized with the likes of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. If we built a similar stadium in Calgary that is being built in Regina or has been built Winnipeg, Hamilton... what does that say about Calgary and it's own image of it's self ? We need to make the statement we are a big dog...not only with the big cities in Canada but cities in North America.

We are what we say we are... If you build it they will come!

Sounds like you want the City of Calgary to help pay for a complex worthy of our city. Unfortunately, too many property tax payers do not like that idea - or at least they are the ones who make the most public noise.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by 93JC

Oh fuck off, I'm not trolling; I'm one of a handful of voices of reason around here.

You're cherry-picking very vague, trumped-up comments made to the media and making assertions based on your own extremely spurious guesswork, so I call bullshit. You're trolling as far as I'm concerned, spreading rumours and gossip like a 13-year-old girl.



Bold is my emphasis.

Since you're the voice of reason around here, what are you basing your assertions on?

Go watch Ken King's clips and ask for a diaper change.

[ByeByeBaby]

Originally Posted by Nudrock

Sounds like you want the City of Calgary to help pay for a complex worthy of our city. Unfortunately, too many property tax payers do not like that idea - or at least they are the ones who make the most public noise.

I think that having a highly profitable business that wants to make more money from an expanded/improved operation actually pay for that expansion themselves is an ideal worthy of our city, and the idea that working citizens need to subsidize the hobbies of billionaires is beneath our city. But maybe I've been listening to too many right-wing, pro-free-market types lately.

[93JC]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Since you're the voice of reason around here, what are you basing your assertions on?

Go watch Ken King's clips and ask for a diaper change.

I'll look forward to telling you four of my favourite words when shovels start hitting the dirt.

[Nudrock]

Originally Posted by ByeByeBaby

I think that having a highly profitable business that wants to make more money from an expanded/improved operation actually pay for that expansion themselves is an ideal worthy of our city, and the idea that working citizens need to subsidize the hobbies of billionaires is beneath our city. But maybe I've been listening to too many right-wing, pro-free-market types lately.

Right - but will the billionaires build one as McBuilderson described? I don't think they have an incentive to do that.

[J-D]

Originally Posted by speedog

So Spring2008 quotes "Ken King emphasized this is going to be one of the most multi-purpose sporting and entertainment complex in the world." and you get multi-purpose stadium out of this?

Complex and stadium might very well mean two different things, no?

Ah, true enough.

[calgarydude]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

It's always bothered me that the CFL season starts so late and the most important games take place in the middle of blizzards.

A few years ago some local radio sports guys were griping about low attendance numbers at a Western Final game. Some guy phoned in and said he'd gone to games in the middle of summer but didn't want to sit freezing in the stands for a playoff game, and that they should move the season up a month. The radio guys acted surprised that people would have that attitude, and they kept blathering on about 'tradition'.

I wanted to phone in and say 'wake the fuck up!'. Not all all traditions are the best ones.

I have heard that some of the other issues with moving it up would be the playoffs competing with Baseball playoffs (versus November not competing against baseball at all) and getting rookies out of university in time for camp when school is finishing end of April (training camp has to wait until May)
that said, I agree it should be moved up a month.

[O-tacular]

I'm just expecting the cheapest possible design and if if it's not an ugly brick barn I'll be happy.

[craner]

^Why such low expectations O-tac ? (just curious)

[The Urbanist]

Just heard from a developer with major land holdings in the Victoria Park/East Village area that the Stadium will be built on the Stampede Grounds. Sounds like you west-end hopefuls might be losing your lunch money