An interesting proposal out of Ottawa for their Lansdowne Park redevelopment - posting here as it's an example of a sports/entertainment district with both large facilities, many large events. Article here:
Lansdowne decisions put hockey arena move in spotlight
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/landsdowne-hockey-arena-development-1.6854698
From an design and site evolution perspective, Lansdowne is applicable to our debates on Stampede Park's issues and also Foothill Athletic Park redevelop if that ever comes to fruition. In particular, I like Ottawa's example for it's ability to contain itself within the site, an appreciation for mixed use and retail development, and progressively add more intensive uses within the same footprint - while keeping the ability to host larger scale events. Lansdowne also managed to do all this while losing all it's surface parking despite no proximity to rapid transit.
Background:
Lansdowne Park is located in central Ottawa, along a popular Bank Street and The Glebe neighbourhood, sitting in the curve of the Rideau Canal. It's a different vintage of city than Calgary but the local geography and vibe is somewhat similar to our Mission neighbourhood and it's relationship to the city centre, the river and Stampede Park. Lots of cafes and restaurants, high degree of walkability, a little over a century old. The neighbourhood and the exhibition ground
Other similarities - both exhibition areas have sports and entertainment district companies with connections into the local political space, both examples have hoovered up substantial public investment over their 100+ year history. Both have had substantial parts of their history as a horse-racing track and other exhibition uses (Lansdowne had stock-car racing for a while, for example). And of course, both Stampede and Lansdowne have had endless public debate on the degree in which the public should be investing in these area, and if there's a better use for both the funds available and the space itself. Both have been criticized for being empty wastelands when an event is not on and taking up valuable inner city real estate to the benefit of few.
Of course, Stampede Park and Lansdowne aren't completely the same (Stampede is a larger event than those typically hosted at Lansdown, Stampede Park is about 2x larger, and Stampede has multiple rapid transit stations in close proximity, for examples). Butt from a design and site master plan perspective, Lansdowne has lots of lessons on how to convert an under-utilized surface parking lot exhibition grounds into something more woven into the neighbourhood - without destroying it.
~2011 ish, right before redevelopment:
Current build out - includes a cineplex, Whole Foods, 1,000 stall underground parking garage, many acres of new greenspace for outdoor events.
Future proposal - adding 1,200 units of housing. According to the article, 90% of the property taxes from these units will be used as debt repayment for the improvements to the park. The 5,500 seat OHL team arena is located in the eastern endzone, with the grass roof.
To my knowledge, despite substantial public investments, Ottawa didn't need to make any weird deals to pay for surface parking replacements nearby. It also didn't spend half-a-century slowly destabilizing and replacing The Glebe neighbourhood to accommodate future expansion of the exhibition area. The result is an attractive urban neighbourhood bustling with shops and retail,
plus an entertainment district and lots events and green space.
We absolutely could have a better Stampede Park - and better urban environment around it - if we wanted to.
