Calgary council votes to pursue new event centre deal, will use 3rd party to gauge CSEC interest
CBC
Calgary city council voted unanimously Wednesday to keep working on a new event centre while directing administration to determine whether the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) would be interested in re-entering discussions.
Council met Wednesday to discuss the collapse of the deal for a new downtown arena, emerging out of an hours-long closed door meeting shortly after 10 p.m. to talk next steps.
Council has also tasked city administration with determining whether there may be other parties interested in partnering with the city. The event centre assessment committee has also been re-established.
The results of that decision are due back before council at the March 8 meeting.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the lengthy meeting of council was important to lay out a timeline for the public.
"I think it is a great way to ensure that everyone is getting what they need out of an agreement and a partnership by making sure there is a third-party at the table, so that both interests are well-served," Gondek said.
"There might be more than just two parties this time, given the direction that we've provided."
Construction on the $600-million arena in Victoria Park was supposed to start in early 2022 but was terminated Jan. 1 after CSEC walked away from the project due to rising costs.
"[This] does mean we can take the time we need to really consider what the future event centre looks like," said Coun. Peter Demong. "Whether it's a brand-new building or renovation of the existing building."
Prior to the vote on Wednesday, council was provided with a detailed report and clarity on a number of items.
Prior to the termination of the deal, it was estimated that the two parties together had spent $20 million to $25 million.
Council heard an update on that figure during Wednesday's meeting, with the number pegged at $23 million to $24 million. That figure is still due to be refined.
It was revealed in July 2021 that the deal was close to $60 million over budget.
During the summer, the city and the CSEC agreed to pay an additional $12.5 million for the arena, with the Flames owners group agreeing to cover any more cost overruns.
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