Calgary’s new arena a ‘next chapter’ for the city

Calgary’s Culture and Entertainment District has been confirmed, and some say they are confident the city’s reputation is about to reach a new and exciting level.

There isn’t a design yet, but in three years, the Calgary Flames will be playing their very first game at their new home at the location.

The site plan for the development of The Rivers District, which includes the new Event Centre. (Courtesy of The City of Calgary)

It marks a new chapter for The City of Calgary, transforming this space into the event centre and culture and entertainment district.

But we aren’t there yet. With three construction projects nestled in this area, the Calgary Construction Association (CAA) says this area will serve as an anchor, as the city moves towards the future.

“In 42 years I’ve never been more excited because there’s a new chapter. This isn’t just adding extra jewelry on top of the Calgary we already have. This is actually building the next version of Calgary,” Bill Black, the chief operating officer of the CAA.

“We’re building the kinds of projects that people want to say they’ve built.”

Related Stories: 

• New event centre in Calgary gets official approval, construction to begin in 2024

• Winners and losers: Calgary’s $1.2B event centre deal

• Albertans disapprove of Event Centre deal: poll

He says three years is a good timeline for the opening of the event centre, but for those cheering for a unique architectural design, the price tag suggests we may see something more basic, with the majority of the design potentially being already done.

“I suspect a large portion of the work that was already done -until things halted- will have value moving forward,” Black explained.

Maybe significant amounts of it will just transfer over. I think that saves probably a year or more in from-scratch design development and could allow a very quick mobilization into the work.”

People taking in events will continue to see orange pylons and construction workers for the time being, but Kate Thompson, the president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, says that the vision will really start to come through near the end of 2024 when a lot of these projects will be completed.

Black says there’s an advantage to construction already in the area.

“The existing work that’s there is actually a benefit because there’s already a core workforce capacity there that can shift its resources to the new project,” he explained.

Read More: Shortage of construction workers in Calgary can increase delays and home prices: experts

Thousands of workers will help bring the culture and entertainment district to life, and even though the construction industry is dealing with a labour shortage, Black says a project of this magnitude is enticing for workers.

“The men and women that made that possible are incredibly proud of what they did. And it would be really great if the city could remember that that was once a blank piece of ground that a few thousand people turned into an arena”