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Calgary’s city centre is on life support and now that the arena project is on hold one has to wonder what implications that has on the future of our downtown. There has been much controversy over the arena and the value it will add or not add to the revitalization of the city centre. Should the city be spending taxpayer dollars to support a new arena for billionaire owners, elite hockey players and a few music fans?
I know building new downtown sports facilities (arenas, stadiums, baseball parks) have been successful in downtown neighbourhood revitalization in several U.S. cities, but in Canada it isn’t a guarantee. In Hamilton, the downtown arena was part of a major plan to revitalize its downtown that included a new library, farmer’s market, convention centre, public art gallery, major indoor shopping centre, office and hotel complex. It failed. Winnipeg’s new downtown arena right on Portage Avenue has spurred some development nearby, but still the downtown struggles. Even Edmonton’s fancy new arena, while it has been the catalyst for new development around it, has not revitalized the downtown at large. In both Winnipeg and Edmonton, their Hudson’s Bay stores have closed.
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A reader of my recent “Calgary vs Columbus Ohio” downtown revitalization blog sent me, a copy of Alex Rowley’s thesis “Winning with Sports Event Facilities and Sports and Entertainment Districts in Smaller Cities” for his masters of community planning from Vancouver Island University (April 2020).
Rowley’s literature search identified a checklist of things successful sports and entertainment districts have in common and surprisingly Calgary’s Stampede Park master plan fits most of them.
Rowley quotes Martin Greenberg’s report on the Milwaukee baseball district that states, “in order to develop a sports event facility with a surrounding sports and entertainment district, it is important to have a receptive community with five key characteristics:
- a need or a desire for a new or renovated sports event facility and envision the facility as the centrepiece for future development.
- a political or civic leader that advocates for the sports event facility and surrounding development.
- the area surrounding the sports event facility must be surrounded by properties and land that can accommodate auxiliary development.
- a governmental unit that has or is willing to adopt flexible zoning bylaws surrounding the new sports event facility.
- it must provide incentives to developers, such as infrastructure upgrades or other financial incentives, so they will be encouraged to develop in the surrounding area.
I believe this is exactly what Calgary Municipal Land Corp. wants to achieve with its Stampede Park Sports and Entertainment District, which is why the program costs have risen beyond the $550 million which was just for the arena.
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Elements of a successful “Sports & Entertainment District”
Ultimately, Rowley concludes a successful “sports & entertainment” district should have the following elements:
- A main sports event facility;
- Other sports event facilities;
- Other large facilities;
- Multi-modal transportation infrastructure;
- Entertainment options;
- Retail options;
- Recreational spaces;
- Tourist attractions;
- Hotels;
- Residential properties;
- Professional services and community amenities;
- Partnering institutions and organizations.
All of the above are included in the city’s plans for Stampede Park revitalization.
Recommendations For Success
Rowley’s thesis concludes with a list of recommendations on a new arena that can be the catalyst for creating a vibrant new community. My comments follow in italics.
Recommendation 3: Ensure the sports event facility can be used flexibly and focuses on the needs of the majority in a community, not just high-profile sports teams and athletes.
Stampede Park is already home to hundreds of smaller events and festivals year-round. Other event facilities nearby include the BMO Event Centre, Nutrien West Event Centre, Grandstand and Repsol Sports Centre across the street.
Recommendation 4: Name the sports event facility after the community it is situated in. If a city wants to utilize a sports event facility for place marketing, the name of the facility and the district become very important.
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I have always found it strange why city hall continues to use the term “cultural “as part of the proposed new sports, event, entertainment district. I think it will confuse people who think of the area around Olympic Plaza with Arts Commons, the Glenbow and historic Stephen Avenue as our cultural district. I would love to see the City adopt the terms: Stampede Park Event & Entertainment District (SPEED).
Recommendation 5: Develop a master plan and development strategy for the area surrounding the new sports event facility to help the city achieve its broader strategic planning and development goals.
CMLC has done a great job of creating a master plan for the SPEED!
Recommendation 6: There needs to be a strategy developed with the businesses in the areas surrounding sports event facilities.
I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t one of the issues facing the Calgary arena project. Ideally, you would want a hotel partner to have been announced and a residential developer before you start construction.
Recommendation 9: Have other unique facilities, entertainment options, retail options and tourist attractions to complement the main sports event facility.
It could easily be argued Stampede Park is a major tourist attraction, especially with the expanded BMO Centre.
Recommendation 10: Have multi-modal transportation infrastructure that makes it convenient for residents and visitors to access the sports event facility and surrounding district.
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It is a no-brainer that Calgary Transit will have to extend the free fare zone to Stampede Park in the future.
Recommendation 11: Have diverse visitor accommodations within the district surrounding the sports event.
This is an issue for Calgary as there are no hotels near Stampede Park despite years of trying.
Recommendation 12: Have residential properties, professional services, and community amenities to create a complete community surrounding the main sports event facility.
Generating residential development next to Stampede Park is going to be difficult given competition from other city centre neighbourhoods that have existing amenities. As well, high-rise living may be negatively impacted in the short-term due to COVID experience.
Recommendation 15: The communication strategy must address the following: how the facility will be different than ones that have failed in the past; how the facility will be funded long-term; who the confirmed long-term partnering institutions and organizations are; why the broader community needs the facility; how the facility will align with the community’s values; and, how the facility will benefit the community from economic, social, and human health perspectives.
CMLC and some councillors have tried to address these issues, but with limited success.
Last Word: Calgary’s new arena proposal has taken all of the ideas in Rowley’s thesis into consideration and tried to incorporate most of them. That doesn’t guarantee it will be successful, but then there are no guarantees in urban planning or city building!
Richard White is a Calgary writer and blogger for the Everyday Tourist.
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