Calgary Event Centre | 36.85m | 11s | CSEC | HOK

[Surrealplaces]

I wouldn't expect the entirety of the Stampede grounds to be redeveloped, but I think the big expection was from 12th Avenue to 17th Avenue, Stampede Trail was to be a very vibrant, mixed-used street. An Entertainment District, if you will. If the thought process is now, well, there is enough gravel lots throughout the area that we can use to create a vibrant community, no need to worry about making Stampede Trail the festival street as per the plan, then why are we spending literally hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on those lands? That is what is so frustrating to me. Part of the sales pitch to justify the excessive tax dollars was the redevelopment of this area, into the new entertainment district. If the outcome is just what was going to happen with private development as guided by the Beltline ARP with minimal public investment, then why did we extend CMLCs mandate by a further 20 years and throw in a ton more money?

I'm not up to speed on all of the funding details, so I could be wrong here. I always thought the public money being contributed was for the arena itself and the section to the north of the arena...basically Stampede Trail I guess. Which should be developed with an urban element and good context to the neighboring parcels. Given the layout of the area, it's mostly 4th street from the arena northward. Not sure if any money for the arena was slotted for 12th ave northward, only 4th street portion and I suppose the public realm along 12th. I'm not 100% up on the details, so I could be wrong.

 

[MichaelS]

Stampede Trail redevelopment starts soon.

Is that the streetscape updates? I guess when I say redeveloped, I mean not just the infrastructure but the adjacent land uses. Granted we haven't seen designs yet for the supposed hotel or the arena, but so far the one building we have seen, the BMO Centre, has no active uses or anything that would draw normal Calgarians into this area for any reason (other than if they were paying to attend a conference there), despite the master plan calling for ground floor retail for that block on Stampede Trail. So, the first $500 million building has not lived up to the plan for the City's entertainment district, since it provides no entertainment options to Calgarians.

And the stated plan to demolish the Saddledome and leave it as a surface lot doesn't advance the plan either.

 

[Chowda7]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/smith-government-flames-arena-39-million-1.6954672

 

[Duck Lightning]

More information on the project coming tomorrow​

 

[Mountain Man]

Hopefully it includes renders!!

 

[adamyyc]

Hopefully it includes renders!!

Hopefully it includes NEW renders!!!

 

[1875]

no one is getting any younger, lets have it already.

 

[Nimbus]

Can't wait to see how Councillor/Running for Mayor Sharp spins this one.

 

[Mountain Man]

Hopefully it includes NEW renders!!!

The site is like 20% bigger now, so I imagine it will be a complete redesign.

 

[Nimbus]

Starting to sound like it may just be an official funding announcement. Yawn.

 

[Duck Lightning]

The old design isn't applicable to the current project after additional land was added. So my guess is that renders aren't likely until sometime next year at earliest and the most we might get is a new preliminary render similar to the one rossetti did for the previous project.

 

[haltcatchfire]

Starting to sound like it may just be an official funding announcement. Yawn.

Could have been handled by a two paragraph press release.

 

[Mountain Man]

Better be more than the info we already have!

 

[darwink]

 

[Mountain Man]

How exciting...