Flames President & CEO Ken King said that the next step for the team in its effort to build an C$890M arena, event center and fieldhouse will be "meeting with various levels of government," while city officials "start engaging Calgarians and looking into the cleanup of the creosote-contaminated site," according to Dave Dormer of the CALGARY SUN. King has had a "preliminary discussion" with Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci, who "has said he is keeping 'an open mind' around the proposal and potential provincial involvement." King said that he would "like to sit down" with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, but no meetings are scheduled at this point (CALGARY SUN, 8/20). Dormer notes roughly 1,200 Flames season-ticket holders and 350 CFL Stampeders season-ticket holders attended the presentation of the CalgaryNEXT project yesterday and Tuesday. King said that the feedback he has received has "been mainly in favour of the proposal." He "spent about an hour going over the proposal during three information sessions" (CALGARY SUN, 8/20).
DISSENTING OPINIONS: In Calgary, Annalise Klingbeil reports concerns about traffic, transit, and a lack of parking are "emerging as key issues for the proposed arena and stadium development." Councillors and urban development experts are "citing a reliance upon already clogged arteries to move vehicles, just 1,500 parking spaces on site, and facility access from only one LRT station as issues" surrounding the Flames’ proposal (CALGARY HERALD, 8/20). Also in Calgary, Trevor Howell notes a group calling itself CalgaryNOPE "launched a website, online petition and social media campaign hours after the proposal was unveiled Tuesday." One of the group's organizers wrote in a Twitter message, "We’re not opposed to a new stadium at all, but it should be funded by the businesses selling tickets to events at the stadium." King yesterday "defended the proposal." He said that it "would be a catalyst to transform the area that is currently plagued by traffic issues and environmental contamination." King: "I’m not going to respond to a group of people who have not talked to us, who may or may not be knowledgeable in the project or the process, who are mustering a force to go against it" (CALGARY HERALD, 8/20).
DOME ALONE: In Calgary, Sammy Hudes writes the future of the Flames' current home at the Scotiabank Saddledome "remains unknown." King "floated a single idea to repurpose the building" that would "see a floor without surrounding walls inserted in the middle of the Saddledome to convert it into an exhibition and trade space." Calgary TELUS Convention Center Dir of Marketing & Communications Heather Lundy said, "Typically, convention facilities in any city are located downtown. The delegates themselves need the amenities like the restaurants, the hotels, the shopping, the entertainment. You can safely say right now that that is missing from that area." Hudes notes the city has "not considered the Saddledome’s future beyond its current arrangement with the Flames." The lease of the city-owned building, where the Flames have played since '83, was "renewed last year" until '33 (CALGARY HERALD, 8/20).
