City will pursue other means of getting arena built, Calgary mayor says

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said Wednesday the city will pursue other ways of getting a new downtown arena built after its deal with the Flames owners was officially terminated earlier this week.

Construction was supposed to start on the $600-million arena in Victoria Park in early 2022 — but on Dec. 21, Gondek said she had been informed by the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) that it would not be proceeding with the project.

In the days that followed, the Flames owners indicated they wouldn't go ahead due to rising costs.

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Gondek said at a news conference on Wednesday that other avenues will now be pursued.

"Now is the time to look very holistically at the district itself, rather than trying to build a district around a single project," she said.

Gondek also emphasized that although the city is not in any negotiations at the moment, a new arena remains a goal.

"I would like to make sure that Calgarians understand that building an event centre is still a strategic direction of [city] council," Gondek said.

"There are still many interested parties … that want to see this move forward."

Some members of council, however, have said they are less optimistic about finding another partner for a new deal with the "magnitude" of the Flames owners.

On the Wednesday edition of the Calgary Eyeopener, and before Gondek's news conference, Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot said this will present challenges.

"This is something that the City of Calgary has been pursuing for over 15 years, and the idea that we're just going to snap our fingers and find a new partner, I think, is a very utopian sort of opinion," Chabot said.  

"It's not going to happen. Not a partner of this magnitude."

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said the desire to come to the table with a partner is something that is "absolutely there."