New Stadium Discussion Thread

[darwink]

The facilities aren't able to apply for a lot of the funding that other facilities can because they're owned by the University.

Not exactly true. It is just the city has to consider the university facility as an asset to the community, and consider that when allocating grant money from the feds and province.

The city of course wants its stuff funded, not things at Canada Olympic Park or the University when funding those later things means less for the city.

 

[catchatyou]

the stamps play during the Stampede so you're absolutely correct in saying that it would be an inconvenience.

2025 was the first EVER year the Stamps had a game around Stampede. In modern times, they've always been both away and on bye during these two weekends (season ticket holder approaching a decade). Adding an extra week for an away game wouldn't be an insurmountable issue. Could open opportunities like a "Touchdown Red Deer/Lethbridge/Fort McMurray/Kelowna".

Reasons why the Stampeders historically haven't played during Stampede:
-McMahon's parking lot is used to host the RVs of the rodeo contestants (hence the Stampede Bowl being BEFORE Stampede)
-Events, production, security, and support staff that work Stampeders games also work Stampede
-Lodging expenses for the away team are more expensive
-Many Calgarians flee Calgary during Stampede

For half the cost of building a new stadium, the Stampeders could take over the Stampede Grandstand/GMC Stadium, and funding from multiple sources would make the construction of a new infield grandstand (capable of accommodating the larger Canadian football field) doable. Funding available from CSEC, the Stampede, the city, and maybe even the province. City funding more likely if it included a winter bubble to be used as a public field house for an area lacking public fields. Field under and dirt laid on top for the Stampede's rodeo and chucks (with a protective layer like the rubber tiles laid on the Saddledome's ice for Roughneck lacrosse or any NHL/NBA arena).

A separate stadium where the Saddledome currently is or the Victoria Park bus barn also makes a lot of sense, but it would add cost and wouldn't activate GMC Stadium more, like the Stampede most likely want. That said, I would prefer a tightly integrated stadium with condos and shops like TD Place in Ottawa or McGill's Molson in Montreal...I just don't think CSEC would go all out on that for the Stampeders and would instead look for the cheapest option to elevate the game day experience.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

They may not have home games, but they have full access to their field and dressing room facilities to practice. They arent going to build a practice facilitiy for 3 weeks.

View attachment 707404
That is a to-scale representation, included a shrunken end zone, but the same width as current. I would love to see how an architect could manage to make that into an experience that is better than mcmahon, which still maintaining the same experience for rodeo/chuckwagons/grandtand show (ie: the infield has to stay the same, the track has to stay in the same location)....AND can be easily retrofitted back and forth in 4-5 days

That is not to scale.

 

[Tothewest]

That is not to scale.

correct lol.... just noticed my photoshop error. even i was a little suprised how well it suited my argument. below is correct....

Given they are spending $8M on a new suite tower on north end of infield. its justified to the south. Took half off the endzones, and 10 yards off the field. Certainly better than I originally thought, but can't square a) even though the Stamps cant play, you'd be departing your entire training/medical/practice/dressing room facility too for 3 weeks. Still am skeptical that, outdoors, you can convert that in/out, to a rodeo and chuckwagon facility that is completely level with the exisiting track....in 4 days.

 

[MondayCoffee]

I've been lurking this site for sometime as I love the information that is provided on future developments in Calgary. I am wondering if it is possible to create a thread that discusses the potential possibilities of a new stadium that is needed for this city so that we aren't hijacking the Scotia Place thread. I hope there is some truth to the rumors that there is some 'behind the scene' action on this front already.


Now I will contradict myself by posting a a little fun I had with Chat Gpt... I would love to see a stadium developed on the stampede grounds to go along with the new arena and convention center. Continue to make this an area of entertainment that may support year-round events.

 

[darwink]

From the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee--Feasibility Study and Conceptual Master Hosting Plan Appendix 4I Detailed Venue Analysis: Stampede Park Grandstand

 

[Tothewest]

wow, never seen those. I guess anything is doable though with 4-5 months of clean access.

At the end of the day, these would be the pro's and con's

Pro's
- Proper outdoor concert venue, no noise bylaw
- Added foot traffic to Rivers and close access for stamps fans to bars/food/ect
- Improved club spaced and concourses
- New infield build for Stampede
- Infield tailgate scene

Con's
- incredibly quick turnaround
- loss of "stampede specific" benefits (permanent corrals behind infield, grandstand permanent stage, covered grandstand)
- Significant cost to renovate GMC, rebuild infield, and transition from football to stampede

Seems like a lot of wins for the Stampeders...less convinced of the win for the Stampede, when they technically would be the ones with final say

 

[CalgaryTiger]

From the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee--Feasibility Study and Conceptual Master Hosting Plan Appendix 4I Detailed Venue Analysis: Stampede Park Grandstand

View attachment 707417
View attachment 707419
View attachment 707420
View attachment 707422
View attachment 707424

The new field dimensions maybe the field even shorter. I think, if you're renovating the Grandstand, you'd remove the end seats, as they're not very good seats for the rodeo. You could actually use this as an opportunity to bring the rodeo right up to the Grandstand, as right now with the stage and tarmac, you're pretty far from any of the rodeo action. During the Stampede a stage could be setup for the Grandstand show with a Grey Cup or Superbowl style stage that they quickly haul in and setup.

wow, never seen those. I guess anything is doable though with 4-5 months of clean access.

At the end of the day, these would be the pro's and con's

Pro's
- Proper outdoor concert venue, no noise bylaw
- Added foot traffic to Rivers and close access for stamps fans to bars/food/ect
- Improved club spaced and concourses
- New infield build for Stampede
- Infield tailgate scene

Con's
- incredibly quick turnaround
- loss of "stampede specific" benefits (permanent corrals behind infield, grandstand permanent stage, covered grandstand)
- Significant cost to renovate GMC, rebuild infield, and transition from football to stampede

Seems like a lot of wins for the Stampeders...less convinced of the win for the Stampede, when they technically would be the ones with final say

I see what you're saying about the cons, and they are drawbacks but definitely not insurmountable. As I posted above, the rodeo in Houston accomplishes this every year. And I'm sure if you're doing this and renovating the Grandstand, there are grounds to have all three levels of government contribute. A premier venue for a renowned event like the Stampede could be easily sold as a good use of public money, especially since the Stampede is a public organization. $100-$150 million from each order of government and the Stampede, $400-$600 million would go a long way.

Sure, the Stampeder's benefit, but if you do include a practice facility on the Saddledome lands that could be used during the Stampede for anything maybe even a place for the Cowboys tent... haha (it is an open field after all) and when the Stampeders or Stampede are not using it, a sports field in the city centre would be a great public asset. It could be used for outdoor fitness classes, farmer's markets, watch parties, or anything, again it is an open field.

 

[Infrastructurist]

correct lol.... just noticed my photoshop error. even i was a little suprised how well it suited my argument. below is correct....

View attachment 707409

This might be completely incorrect but I'm pretty sure that CFL fields are actually supposed to shrink with the new rules that are being added. I don't watch the CFL at all but I remember that being a controversial topic recently so it might fit even better.

 

[ByeByeBaby]

Sure, the Stampeder's benefit, but if you do include a practice facility on the Saddledome lands that could be used during the Stampede for anything maybe even a place for the Cowboys tent... haha (it is an open field after all) and when the Stampeders or Stampede are not using it, a sports field in the city centre would be a great public asset. It could be used for outdoor fitness classes, farmer's markets, watch parties, or anything, again it is an open field.

There are already a dozen big empty fields in the inner city, and a dozen more entire blocks of empty surface parking that could be the exact same great public asset. And "when the Stamps are not using it" is November to April... prime farmer's market and outdoor fitness time.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

There are already a dozen big empty fields in the inner city, and a dozen more entire blocks of empty surface parking that could be the exact same great public asset. And "when the Stamps are not using it" is November to April... prime farmer's market and outdoor fitness time.

What are the dozens of empty fields (soccer/football) in the beltline and downtown? The owners of those parking lots have no interest in developing a sports field, the Stampede could. And they wouldn't use the field all day during the season. Practice is in the late morning/early afternoon. It would be available all year outside those 2-4 hours. November-April it could also be bubbled and get year-round functionality.

 

[ByeByeBaby]

What are the dozens of empty fields (soccer/football) in the beltline and downtown? The owners of those parking lots have no interest in developing a sports field, the Stampede could. And they wouldn't use the field all day during the season. Practice is in the late morning/early afternoon. It would be available all year outside those 2-4 hours. November-April it could also be bubbled and get year-round functionality.

I suspect a professional sports team would not be particularly interested in demobilizing their operations and packing all of their equipment away every night, and then setting it up and cleaning out the food wrappers, dog shit and garbage left by community users every morning. (Even if there's not a lot of obvious debris, you need to check and clear the entire field before having professional athletes running and tackling at full speed on it.)

You were talking about sites that could hold "outdoor fitness classes, farmer's markets, watch parties" as a source of public benefit; you don't need a CFL sized-and-shaped field for those. The Beltline and Bridgeland farmer's markets both use around 2000 sq m. I can't imagine outdoor fitness classes or viewing parties (of what?) taking up more space. Here's contiguous open public grassed areas of around 8000 sq m in red (same size as CFL), 4000 sq m in orange and 2000 sq m in yellow. (interestingly neither farmer's market site is on my map because I left out areas with a lot of paving).

 

[CalgaryTiger]

I suspect a professional sports team would not be particularly interested in demobilizing their operations and packing all of their equipment away every night, and then setting it up and cleaning out the food wrappers, dog shit and garbage left by community users every morning. (Even if there's not a lot of obvious debris, you need to check and clear the entire field before having professional athletes running and tackling at full speed on it.)

You were talking about sites that could hold "outdoor fitness classes, farmer's markets, watch parties" as a source of public benefit; you don't need a CFL sized-and-shaped field for those. The Beltline and Bridgeland farmer's markets both use around 2000 sq m. I can't imagine outdoor fitness classes or viewing parties (of what?) taking up more space. Here's contiguous open public grassed areas of around 8000 sq m in red (same size as CFL), 4000 sq m in orange and 2000 sq m in yellow. (interestingly neither farmer's market site is on my map because I left out areas with a lot of paving).

View attachment 707724

This is all fair, but I was more or less using my line of thinking for ways the Stampede could otherwise use the practice field space to activate it beyond a sports field. Those other uses wouldn't be primary uses but other ways the Stampede could take advantage of having something like that. This all goes back to the main driver of having the Stampeders and a new stadium and practice facility on the Stampede Grounds, finding more ways to use the Stampede Grounds on a day-to-day basis. These facilities don't create much new activity; they move it to where they are.