The project to develop a new arena for NHL ice hockey team the Calgary Flames could cost up to C$600m (£353.4m/€393.3m/$447.3m), according to the latest projections.
In October, Calgary City Council moved to reopen talks with the Flames over a new arena, a year after the team opted to exit negotiations. The Canadian city’s council voted 13-1 to restart talks for an entertainment district in Victoria Park that would centre on a new arena. Council chair Jeff Davison was given the green light to re-open negotiations with Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the Flames’ parent company.
The Flames currently play at the Scotiabank Saddledome, which, having opened in 1983, is the oldest arena in the NHL. With the Council due to make a decision on which projects it will prioritise for funding over the next four years at a strategic meeting on January 28, the Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC) has told a committee meeting that a new arena would cost between C$550m and C$600m, based on estimates provided by contractors and talks with the owners of the Flames.
The Calgary Herald newspaper said the projections don’t include the cost of land, with the council meeting also providing conceptual drawings of a 20,000-seat arena by architectural firm Rossetti for CMLC to review.
“I’m very confident that we can deliver a really good building for the citizens of Calgary, as well as Calgary Sports and Entertainment, for that number – it’s a strong number,” CMLC president Michael Brown said, according to the Herald.
Ernst and Young is currently conducting a study of the wider plans to develop an entertainment and cultural district in Victoria Park. The city has around C$300m to spend on a major project over the next few years, city manager Jeff Fielding said.
Image: Rossetti/CMLC
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