Talks continue on new arena for Calgary Flames
Posted May 10, 2017 3:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“We’re working on it.”
Ken King, the CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, confirmed Wednesday that talks between his group and the City of Calgary regarding a new arena for the Flames are ongoing.
While the CalgaryNEXT proposal is still an option, most of the discussion at the moment is focused on the idea of building a new rink in Victoria Park.
“They [talks] continue,” King said. “They have been largely productive and we expect and hope they will continue to be productive. We’re talking about all aspects of it and obviously, dollars and cents is an integral aspect of it. Everything is on the table for discussion.”
He added political will is often spawned by public will, meaning, if Calgarians think building a new rink is a good idea, they should share their views with elected officials.
King also doesn’t think the municipal vote this fall is adding any more urgency to the issue, but said he would prefer an agreement sooner rather than later.
The Victoria Park land is currently owned by the Calgary Stampede, which has indicated a potential interest in a land swap for the city-owned Scotiabank Saddledome. The proposed arena site is a two-block area between 12 and 14 Avenues in the southeast and between 5 Street and Olympic Way.
