This failure leaves the area more barren than ever, a vast stretch of useless parking lots.
calgaryherald.com
Don Braid presents a stark picture of where things were with East Victoria Park and where things are going if the status quo is maintained. The Event Centre is needed to spur other development and fill those empty parking lots. Hotel developers were waiting. Condo developers were waiting. The BMO Centre on it's own, is at risk of not attracting the conventions and large scale events it is designed for. The area has to be a destination or it is doomed to remain in it's present state.
But like most pro-arena Herald columnists - it lacks evidence for the majority of the argument, relying on hearsay and conjecture. If the past half-dozen articles Braid, Corbella and other columnists weren't enough to raise suspicion, I would encourage folks to do a bit of research on the history of the Flames, Herald, the late Ken King, Braid, Corbella etc. Columnists aren't impartial by definition, but this isn't exactly a group without a few decades of conflicts of interests, nor have they a strong track record of a demonstrating critical analysis to maximize what's in the public's interest.
What sounds plausible in Braid's argument? - of course development would have led to more taxes. But if that's the goal, maybe we shouldn't have torn down all this development to make way for the Stampede and arenas the past 40 years. If we want to blame the city, perhaps we shouldn't have subsidized the Stampede for decades to buy up more and more land destabilizing the neighbourhood and leading to developer speculation that helped destroy the rest of it. All that publicly owned land could be disposed of and left to private interests to develop if higher returns if that's the goal!
As for a brand new, million square foot convention centre not being able to attract conventions/hotels and becoming a "white elephant" - well yes that is risk.
But not because an arena doesn't exist (one already does) - it's because new convention centre schemes have similarly weak business cases to arenas where it's unclear if they attract much private development or economic activity at all.
As
@MichaelS put it - the arena and convention centres have existed for decades, the renewal of the facilities has been on the books for years. If they were so good at attracting development and hotels why hasn't one started yet?
TL,DR: Braid's just pumping the decades old arena/Flames argument for public subsidy with no substance.
This right here, i've known clients/would-be developers that are just like this. Ownership groups that think they know everything and don't rely on or respect the expertise of there project managers and consultant team. Makes it too easy for them to make emotional business decisions that are drowning in the ownership group's personal opinions and politics (ie, throwing a shit fit over anything related to public realm/sidewalk improvements or climate resiliency).
