Environmental concerns surrounding new Calgary Event Centre

Say goodbye to the iconic Saddledome.

The new Calgary event centre has cleared a final hurdle before construction can begin. With a budget of $600 million, community members and experts question if the new building will bring us any closer to net zero.

RELATED: Development permit for Calgary’s new arena approved by planning commission

“What we’re seeing right now in B.C., I think, is just eye-opening and think should be a call to action,” said Peter Oliver, the President of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association.

“If we’re going to have any discussion about the environment, greenery and things like that, the fact is that the current Saddledome isn’t even close to the mark,” said Moshe Lander, an economist from Concordia University.

Unlike the Saddledome, city officials boast that the design of the new building should assist in achieving carbon neutrality.

They hope the arena can reach a target date of net-zero by 2035, ahead of the city’s intended goal of 2050.

“This was a huge opportunity to make a building that is net-zero on day one, that meets the highest standards for sustainability and efficiency,” said Oliver.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says there are still conditions that need to be met before the building is complete.

“A plan that’s needed to demonstrate how it will be net-zero by a specific period of time, there is also a greenhouse gas emissions document that needs to accompany prior to release. So, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before we see the end result,” explained Gondek.

The permit approval comes with a list of more than 70 conditions that are required to be met before the project can officially start being built.

A climate adaptation strategy for the building calls for solar panels, electric vehicle parking stalls among other goals.

“What’s in there is really the most basic stuff,” said Oliver. “It’s what a shopping mall or a private supermarket would be built to today and this is a building that is taking $300 million-plus in public funding and really it should be leading the way and not just following.”

“Are we going to get $600 million economic bang for our buck, probably not, but most arenas don’t deliver bang for their buck,” said Lander.

Shovels are expected to break ground for the new arena by early 2022.