Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

[CBBarnett]

Proposals for that site have historically been a leading indicator of a real estate crash

This one and redeveloping Eau Claire - they always get to proposing a cool multi-tower mega project a few months before a global financial crisis that shelves plans for another decade.

No renderings yet - so the economy has at least another year before a giant crash

 

[zzkwilliamcanada]

This one and redeveloping Eau Claire - they always get to proposing a cool multi-tower mega project a few months before a global financial crisis that shelves plans for another decade.

No renderings yet - so the economy has at least another year before a giant crash

can we just move the glenmore landing project to here?

 

[outoftheice]

So apparently the cost of that naming rights sponsorship deal with Cowboys for Millennium Park is the City of Calgary allowing them to pave over the entire green space so that Cowboys can pop up their Stampede tent there.

This pisses me off given how little park space exists in the downtown core, how many surface parking lots do actually exist that could be used to host the Cowboys tent and how the deal was sold to Calgarians as a way to pay for park improvements. Paving the park is something I would hardly refer to as an improvement.

Calgary Bluesfest organizers angered over plans to pave park

Organizers at the Calgary Bluesfest say they are furious after learning about plans to pave much of the green space at Cowboys Park.

calgary.citynews.ca

 

[Nimbus]

Unbelievable, and yet somehow believable in this city.

 

[Mountain Man]

How many people actually use the green space? Not defending that slimeball Vickars, but lots of festivals use this space and having concrete might be a benefit to that. Are Cowboys paying for it, or are tax dollars?

 

[lemongrab]

How many people actually use the green space? Not defending that slimeball Vickars, but lots of festivals use this space and having concrete might be a benefit to that. Are Cowboys paying for it, or are tax dollars?

The article implies the city, though I'm sure they'd argue it comes out of the sponsorship. But looking back to that announcement there was no dollar figure announced.

Only thing I could find related to dollars was this:
https://livewirecalgary.com/2024/11/25/calgary-2025-budget-extra-investments-not-approved/

Cowboys Park upgrades – $4 million: Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp wanted $4 million in funding for Cowboys Park capital upgrades to be removed from the budget with a request for more information to be provided in Q2 of 2025 before further funding would be approved.

City administration warned that it could have an impact on an already approved sponsorship agreement for the park. Further, some of this was life-cycle maintenance that would need to be completed in the area.

This was defeated.

Yikes...this isn't passing the sniff test. It seems unlikely Cowboys is paying $4M over 10 years...and who knows if there is an annual site fee?

IIRC Scotiabank paid $10M in 2010 for 10 year naming rights on the Saddledome (but I can't find a source to verify). Accounting for inflation, do we think a Cowboys Park sponsorship is worth ~30% as much as the Dome? Which would only mean getting these supposed upgrades for 'free'.

 

[darwink]

So apparently the cost of that naming rights sponsorship deal with Cowboys for Millennium Park is the City of Calgary allowing them to pave over the entire green space so that Cowboys can pop up their Stampede tent there.

Given the park will need to host events of the former Olympic Plaza, and Millennium Park, I think it is inevitable.

 

[Nimbus]

It's inexcusable in our current climate to give up green space like this for asphalt.

 

[MichaelS]

How many people actually use the green space? Not defending that slimeball Vickars, but lots of festivals use this space and having concrete might be a benefit to that. Are Cowboys paying for it, or are tax dollars?

I fear it sort of became a self-fulfilling prophecy of "noone uses it, so let's pave over it for festivals". When my family lived in the downtown west end, I would sometimes take my young son to this park. There was never much maintenance in this park (flower beds never planted, that clock never worked, often times a massive puddle beneath the stage because the drain from the fountain (which never turned on) was clogged, etc....). For the City's densest residential neighbourhood, the dowtown west end's regoinal park sure was neglected, which I think lead to people just not bothering to go use it (unless they were going to the skate park).

 

[lemongrab]

Given the park will need to host events of the former Olympic Plaza, and Millennium Park, I think it is inevitable.

I'm curious about the timelines here...seems like both could be under construction for a couple years. It's concerning that the design will be based around a 30000 sq ft footprint for the tent.

Seems like suspiciously little info on this for what is presumably a major change before this July, that's only coming to light now because of a FOIP. Nothing in DMAP...here's the extent of what I could find with a cursory search:

https://www.calgary.ca/parks/cowboys-park.html

• Updated signage (anticipated in 2025)
• Upgraded electrical and utilities (anticipated in 2025)

Legacy Parks Program – Current and Future Projects
IP2024-0317
Attachment 3:

June update:

I'm sure there is a lot info out there, and the overall legacy park program is delivering excellent results from what I've seen, with wonderful new playgrounds throughout the city, and year-round washrooms coming to North Glenmore Park and Edworthy Park (perhaps other locations too?). Interestingly, those projects seem somewhat separate to this (or at least these major amenities coming in advance of the masterplan)?

Note 'Public Engagement' included on 6 and 7, but not 10 (Millenium/Cowboys Park)

 

[outoftheice]

Ya, this seems.... not great.

City to pave over, remove most Cowboys Park green space

The City of Calgary plans to pave over and remove 70 per cent of the green space at Cowboys Park, to the disappointment of festival organizers.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[The Familia]

In just the past couple years the city has clear cut trees along Memorial, Eau Clare, Olympic Plaza, old city hall, memorial park (a few of the big old poplars), and century gardens park. Does this city hate trees that much? Millennium Park has been left to rot and that green space was poorly maintained, but paving it with cheap asphalt for a dirty STD infested drunk tent is a crime. What a joke.

 

[Calgcouver]

Like we don’t have enough surface area of asphalt. Idiots

 

[MichaelS]

Will there be at least a decorative pattern in the paving, for the 10 months a year a tent isn't on it?

 

[CalgaryTiger]

What is with the city selling rights to everything with seemingly no benefit. They sold sponsorship for the free-fare zone, did that really change anything? Now they've sold this to Cowboys because Penny Lane didn't want to pay to rent a parking lot. Loser energy from the city.