Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3 - Page 266

Chadillaccc · #**5301** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 4:19 PM**

The revised exterior of the Calgary Event Centre was just released. Much muuuch better. More CRUs, better street interaction, an enormous video screen along the entire west facade, and a smaller (but still huge) video screen at the primary plaza in the SW corner of the site (kitty corner to the new convention centre currently UC).

Rollerstud98 · #**5302** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 5:25 PM**

Let’s get that bitch built!

Hardhatdan · #**5303** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 5:26 PM**

Looks pretty good.

ZeDgE · #**5304** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 8:06 PM**

Damn looks great. Get the shovels in the ground!

blueandgoldguy · #**5305** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 10:08 PM**

The fact that Edmonton and Calgary consistently lead the WHL in attendance year after year would certainly bring into question the notion that NHL cities do not support lower level hockey.

The comment about Toronto not supporting lower level leagues certainly rings true...likely because they are not trendy. Just to the southeast of Winnipeg lies a city 3/5ths the size of the GTA. They have more major league sports options than Toronto and in superior facilities I might add! Yet, the city manages to:

1) consistently sell out or nearly sell out their minor league ball park every single game (formerly in independent baseball league and now a farm team for a club in the very same city) despite having an MLB team.
2) consistently sell out or nearly sell out all their games to their college hockey team.. about 10,000 per game despite having an NHL team.
3) excellent crowds for high school hockey in the city culminating in a high school hockey tournament that sells out in an NHL arena.
4) a college basketball team that consistently sells out or nearly sells out all their games despite the existence of an NBA team in the city.
5) a college football team which despite being mediocre for the most part manages to pack 40,000+ into the stands per game year after year despite the city having an NFL team.

It's really a tale of 2 cities - one appears to support all its teams regardless of the level of play, despite an abundance of top-level pro teams, while the other appears to turn its nose up at anything that is not "major league" and therefore not trendy.

It really is a shame...

Coldrsx · #**5306** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 10:10 PM**

Better and good interaction but Chicago wants its art piece back.

WhipperSnapper · #**5307** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 11:16 PM**

Like the street front with the CRUs. Why isn't this continued instead of the planters on the side with the huge Calgary sign? (the 6th pic) Architecturally, it's not ugly. It's just looks like upscale big box. I don't know. I remember being more favourable when the first designs came out months ago. Has it change or have I?

craner · #**5308** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmacm

The smallest is Soldier Field in Chicago which seats around 61,000 (which is being replaced with a 70,000+ stadium)

I have not heard this. It seems like they just renovated SF not very long ago (except by Atlanta timelines). Where is the new Chicago stadium located ?

Edit:
Never mind - I googled and found my answers. It’s been almost 20 years since Soldier Field was renovated. Sounds like the existing location on the lakefront is slated for a $20B development and the Bears move to a new stadium in Arlington Heights (wherever that is).

I came across an interesting history article in my googling:
http://https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-cb-chicago-bears-soldier-field-timeline-20211001-5n7rs4s555dkpitlws5jzhtuy4-story.html

thurmas · #**5309** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 5:03 PM**

Buffalo is reported to be going for 60,000 seats in their new stadium proposal for the Bills due to Buffalo's market size and few large size corporations in the area to that of other NFL markets.

craner · #**5310** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 5:11 PM**

Loving what I see in those new Calgary Arena renders (I refuse to call it an EC).
I agree with the others - Let’s Start Digging !!

craner · #**5311** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Like the street front with the CRUs. Why isn't this continued instead of the planters on the side with the huge Calgary sign?(the 6th pic). Architecturally, it's not ugly. It's just looks like upscale big box. I don't know. I remember being more favourable when the first designs came out months ago. Has it change or have I?

That portion is below a parkade - may have something to do with the lack of CRUs.

Djeffery · #**5312** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 5:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by craner

I have not heard this. It seems like they just renovated SF not very long ago (except by Atlanta timelines). Where is the new Chicago stadium located ?

Edit:
Never mind - I googled and found my answers. It’s been almost 20 years since Soldier Field was renovated. Sounds like the existing location on the lakefront is slated for a $20B development and the Bears move to a new stadium in Arlington Heights (wherever that is).

They bought the Arlington Park horse racing track and surroundings. It's about 25 miles northwest of their current location and about 5 miles from O'Hare airport. Definitely suburbia. I have seen a few things online pushing for the White Sox baseball team to get involved with the Soldier Field redevelopment and build a new ballpark down there. Don't know if there is anything to that, or just some wishful thinking from a few people.

craner · #**5313** Posted **Oct 30, 2021, 5:58 PM**

^Thanks for the info.
I checked out Arlington Heights on Maps.

Chadillaccc · #**5314** Posted **Oct 31, 2021, 9:12 PM**

Public realm of the Flames Arena…

Upper frontage in image is the west face, for reference. Olympic Way becomes 4th Street SE and leads directly into the East Village. Fifth Street SE will eventually have an underpass to the East Village as well. There will be a Green Line subway station one block directly north, between Olympic Way and 5th Street, under 11 Avenue. The NW entry is a 9-minute walk from City Hall Station.

WhipperSnapper · #**5315** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 1:49 AM**

I recall Soldier Field being an expensive rebuild. The White Sox stadium is terrible.

JHikka · #**5316** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 6:22 PM**

HFX Wanderers have extended their agreement with the City of Halifax for another two years. They'll be at Wanderers Grounds until at least April 2024, with an option to extend for another year beyond that. Now allowed to host up to 25 matches in a calendar year.

https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-w...nds-extension/

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

The comment about Toronto not supporting lower level leagues certainly rings true...likely because they are not trendy. Just to the southeast of Winnipeg lies a city 3/5ths the size of the GTA. They have more major league sports options than Toronto and in superior facilities I might add! Yet, the city manages to:

At some point you could compare any American city to any Canadian city and come up with the same conclusion. Americans love sports, more at 11.

someone123 · #**5317** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 7:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

HFX Wanderers have extended their agreement with the City of Halifax for another two years. They'll be at Wanderers Grounds until at least April 2024, with an option to extend for another year beyond that. Now allowed to host up to 25 matches in a calendar year.

In practice they are there for as long as they are successful and want to stay, but because it is a park they are getting these terms.

Part of the updated deal involved some improvements to the site.

Hopefully this will morph into a permanent stadium at some point. This is a good stadium site, and it could be a lot larger with some comparatively minor reconfiguration of nearby land parcels.

WhipperSnapper · #**5318** Posted **Nov 2, 2021, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

HFX Wanderers have extended their agreement with the City of Halifax for another two years. They'll be at Wanderers Grounds until at least April 2024, with an option to extend for another year beyond that. Now allowed to host up to 25 matches in a calendar year.

https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-w...nds-extension/

At some point you could compare any American city to any Canadian city and come up with the same conclusion. Americans love sports, more at 11.

They love watching sports betting and bingeing on food and drink.

The number of minor league hockey teams that have left the GTA is in stark contrast to the Raptors 905. Riding bandwagons is probably the best course with so much disappointment.

I used to get free Majors ticket all the time which certainly impacted attendance for those games. I went once myself and gorged on concessions. The regular price of that ticket was two to three times what I've seen in the US. (mind you I was in a much cheaper market than Toronto)

O-tacular · #**5319** Posted **Nov 2, 2021, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Better and good interaction but Chicago wants its art piece back.

The more likely artwork will be a bronze statue of either a cowboy, a horse or a hockey player.

O-tacular · #**5320** Posted **Nov 2, 2021, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Public realm of the Flames Arena…

Upper frontage in image is the west face, for reference. Olympic Way becomes 4th Street SE and leads directly into the East Village. Fifth Street SE will eventually have an underpass to the East Village as well. There will be a Green Line subway station one block directly north, between Olympic Way and 5th Street, under 11 Avenue. The NW entry is a 9-minute walk from City Hall Station.

Looks like corporate boxes take up half the seating.

As for the upgrades to the exterior I'm glad to see some attention paid to the blank north wall. Looks marginally better with the inset lines and lighting. That animated screen wall on the West side could be cool. I'm always skeptical of large LED displays being burnt out in sections but if it's projected onto the mesh it could be really nice. Otherwise it looks like the same basic shape with a few more frills. More palatable now at least.