Things are not going well in the Calgary Flames ownership’s bid. This bid includes both the building of a new arena for the National Hockey League team, as well as an entire project called “Calgary Next.” This particular project would include a new Canadian Football League stadium for the Stampeders and a field-house.
Calgary’s ownership might be looking into a scaled down version of the project, but a Calgary columnist is now pointing out that Kanye West is going to skip Calgary on his fall tour. Instead, he will play at the new building in Edmonton and a newer building in Winnipeg. It seems that Calgary may be on the “old building” list that should not be utilized when newer buildings that can generate more revenue exist.
The Calgary Flames ownership just sent out a letter to season ticket holders admitting that “Plan B” discussion is an offer they are willing to accept. In other words, the Flames group was not going to be able to get a significant amount of loonies out of the Calgary city government to help cover the listed cost of $1.8 billion. Flames ownership countered that it would cost closer to a billion loonies, not what the city planners think.
In any event, the Flames ownership is studying the other proposal. However, Flames ownership really did not knock down the city’s estimated $1.8 billion Canadian cost, and there may be a reason. Stadium and arena projects never cost what the team owners’ sticker price says. There are always cost overruns and the idea that old debts must be payed down, and payment on the interest of the debt always adds to the cost of the project.
Meanwhile, Kanye West will not be in Calgary this fall.
By Evan Weiner for the Politics of Sports Business.
This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, Evan Weiner.