Calgary’s mayor and the CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) held back-to-back press conferences Wednesday to address the inflating costs that collapsed Calgary’s long-standing new arena deal.
Calgarians learned the controversial and over-budget deal for a new events centre — which would have replaced the iconic Saddledome in Victoria Park — was dead on Tuesday, when Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced that the Flames were ready to pull the plug.
After the CSEC released a statement on Tuesday, its CEO, John Bean, reiterated in a Wednesday press conference that there is no viable path forward to complete the Event Centre Project.
A new rendering of the Calgary arena was presented to the Calgary Planning Commission in November. (City of Calgary)
The corporation is unwilling to take on additional risk and rising costs, which are largely related to surrounding sidewalks and climate change initiatives, Bean said.
“This isn’t us looking for a way out,” Bean said.
WATCH | Expectations were clearly outlined for arena, Calgary mayor says
Calgary’s mayor Jyoti Gondek discusses Calgary arena deal collapse
2 hours ago
Duration 1:59
Calgary’s mayor says there have been a lot of questions about the arena’s costs 1:59
“We genuinely believe that the right-of-way costs and the climate costs … really should not be for the account of CSEC. And we tried our best to convey that to the city.”
However, Gondek said in a press conference immediately following the CSEC’s that the corporation was already well aware of what the climate mitigation expectations for the project were.
“[And] we are insisting on things like sidewalks, because you need them for a good … experience,” Gondek said.
She said the city is hoping the CSEC will find the money, and is considering next steps if they don’t.
“It’s an unreal sense of loss right now.”
WATCH | CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation talks collapsed arena deal
CSEC CEO, John Bean, says city insisted upon additional costs
2 hours ago
Duration 1:18
Bean says CSEC was prepared to move forward, but not prepared to fund infrastructure and climate costs 1:18
Rising costs present sticking points
In 2019, the city and the Flames agreed to terms on the Event Centre replacing the Scotiabank Saddledome, the home of the Flames since 1983.
The original estimate of $550 million to build the new 19,000-seat arena was to be split between the city, the CSEC, the Western Hockey League’s Hitmen, the Canadian Football League’s Stampeders and the National Lacrosse League’s Roughnecks.
Earlier this year, however, it was revealed the deal was close to $60 million over budget, and the arena is now projected to cost $608.5 million.
During the summer, both the city and the CSEC agreed to pay an additional $12.5 million for the arena — and agreed that the CSEC would cover any more cost overruns.
However, after costs for climate mitigation, such as solar panels, and right-of-way issues for road and sidewalks were identified, new costs totalled $16.1 million.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the city asked the CSEC to contribute $9.7 million of that amount, in addition to what had already been agreed on.
On Tuesday, Gondek said she spoke with Murray Edwards, primary shareholder of the CSEC, who informed her the events centre deal would not be going forward.
“It appears that they’re unable to make that financial commitment following the approval of their development permit, so it would appear that they are ending the deal,” she said Tuesday.
Neil deMause, a journalist who has covered sports stadium controversies for more than 20 years, told CBC News that he couldn’t recall another arena deal that got this far before reaching a major roadblock.
“As I have told people for years now, the only sure estimate of how much a sports facility will cost is: more than you expected,” deMause said.
‘This can’t become just another thing that Calgary didn’t do’
Meanwhile, onetime Calgary mayoral candidate and former Ward 6 Coun. Jeff Davison, who previously led city negotiations on the deal, said in a statement Wednesday that the majority of Calgarians understand the importance of the project.
It was intended, Davison said, to anchor a long-term growth strategy to “fix downtown and stop the shrinking property values that are shifting the tax burden onto homeowners.”
1/ As this was my vision and I guided this project to approval, I strongly encourage the Mayor and CSEC to come back to the table and find a way to salvage this process. This can’t become just another thing that Calgary didn’t do. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyccc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#yyccc</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/flames?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#flames</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/community?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#community</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/citybuilding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#citybuilding</a>
That strategy included an expanded BMO Centre and revitalized downtown — with more hotels, bars, parks, restaurants, and transit through the Green Line LRT — that Davison said would attract investment, businesses and jobs.
“As this was my vision and I guided this project to approval, I strongly encourage the Mayor and CSEC to come back to the table and find a way to salvage this process,” Davison said.
“This can’t become just another thing that Calgary didn’t do.”
Abandoning the project would compromise critical investments in community vibrancy, talent attraction and economic recovery, said Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, in an emailed statement.
She said that in addition to creating jobs, the events centre would have a positive impact on property tax generation, support for local sports organizations, community engagement programming and the ability to hold concerts.
“At this critical stage of the development process, and given the resources already invested, the business community encourages shareholders and stakeholders to demonstrate flexibility and finalize this agreement for the benefit of Calgarians today and tomorrow.”
The CSEC said the Calgary Flames will continue to play at the Saddledome.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
