Irshadgul News report,
The City of Calgary has raised $109 million to build a multisport field house, but other governments will need it before any construction can begin.
For more than a decade, the city has been planning a field house at Foothills Athletic Park. It would be built on the site of the city’s main baseball stadium.
A council committee has been working in recent years on plans to redevelop the park and has developed a concept plan for the area around McMahon Stadium.
The plan envisions new and renovated athletic facilities on the city-owned portion of that land, while the University of Calgary will pursue a plan for residential and commercial development on the land it owns, including McMahon Stadium.
After a committee meeting on Monday, the panel’s chairman said the city’s efforts will now be focused on building the Field House, which could be a catalyst for further development in the area.
“It really required a first mover, and so the city plans to move forward with the home in that area,” Count said. Chameli Mian.
“It will take years to realize the overall scenic vision for the Foothills Athletic Park area, but we’ll never realize it until we start somewhere.”
other governments are needed
City planning is based on a few moves.
Mian said he would contact the federal and provincial governments to gauge their level of interest in investing in the project.
Also, she said, the administration will check with local sports organizations to make sure the plan for the multisport field house includes all the modern amenities they need.
The results of that consultation will go to the committee later this year.
A new field house is also considered important in attracting various national competitions to Calgary, something that will also benefit the local economy.
The mayor sees the trigger
Mayor Jyoti Gondek offered praise Monday for the collaborative organizations looking into the future of the Foothills Athletic Park area, including the University of Calgary, the McMahon Stadium Society, Sport Calgary and Tourism Calgary.
He said trying to take the project forward would help in bringing a holistic approach to the area.
“I think it’s going to allow us to have that first critical piece of infrastructure that will trigger more investment,” Gondek said.
The city administration says the need for indoor exercise and play space in Calgary has not changed since the 2008 report. The Field House Project is a top unfunded city infrastructure project.
List of Major Projects
In 2019, the city council committed itself to move forward on four major projects deemed vital to the city’s economic future.
The list included expanding the BMO Center at Stampede Park along with the Field House, building a new event center to replace the Saddledome, and expanding/renovating the Arts Commons.
Construction is well underway on a $500 million BMO Center expansion, the city is negotiating a new arena deal with the owners of the Calgary Flames and design work is progressing on the Arts Commons expansion.
The money set aside for the Field House has come through budget allocations in recent years, including $20 million in last November’s civic budget.
It was estimated that a field house could cost up to $250 million, but a city official acknowledged Monday that a final price would not be known until a design is completed.
