Folks, it’s been almost a couple weeks since the grand unveiling and groundbreaking for Scotia Place, the future home of the Calgary Flames.
Well, we’ve gotten a bunch of additional details since then and we’ve seen things start to progress and develop as well, so we figured we would provide a quick update.
More details about Scotia Place
The planning commission received a 1,900 page submission a couple weeks ago. A 20-page summary document was posted on the city’s development portal, and FlamesNation got some time to view the 185-page extended summary document that the city has made available upon request.
Here are our impressions of what we’ve seen from our time with the detailed plans.
The arena has six levels:
- Below grade, there’s the event level and the club mezzanine. (The event level is where the main arena, the locker rooms, various team resources, and the community rink.) The club mezzanine includes a couple lounges for club members, as well as access points up into the lower bowl.
- At and above grade are the main concourse, the premium level, the upper concourse and the press level.
- The main concourse is at ground level, the event level is about 11.305 meters (or 37 feet) below grade.
There are 11 different public art pieces mentioned in the designs. Four suspended pieces inside the building representing fire, water, earth and wind, along with three other suspended pieces. Outside the building are installations outside the southwest and northwest entrances, indigenous-inspired murals incorporated into the eastern exterior wall, as well as two outdoor pieces along 14th Avenue.
The two 14th Avenue pieces include eight embedded tipi rings and a rectangle, representing the local indigenous communities, as well as an outdoor cauldron, which is referred to as “the home fire.”
On the ground level, there are three restaurants, the Flames team store, and a food hall – all of which are expected to be open outside of arena events. The food hall, based on the plans we saw, will include three or four different eateries, and it’ll incorporate the historic Stephenson & Co. Grocers building,
which dates back to 1911.
On the inside, the concourse design resembles Rogers Place. Washrooms are found throughout, typically located on the inside of the two main concourses. (Several of the men’s rooms include portions with stalls that can be converted to additional women’s washroom capacity, depending on event needs.)
The concessions in the building resemble the current mix of food options available at the Saddledome, including two Pocket Dogs on the main concourse and another on the upper concourse. There are also several “Grab and Go” locations – an Amazon-powered concept that was introduced to the ‘Dome last season – as well as some new, unique food options to be introduced to the building.
It seems like the goal of the designs was to maintain the overall “feel” of the ‘Dome, albeit with a lot of more modern twists. We’ll see how it materializes in the build, but that’s the overall vibe of things.
And it’s inside baseball, but the event level is way bigger than the Saddledome’s, and features dedicated locker room space for the Flames, Wranglers, Hitmen and Roughnecks. The Flames have their own chunk of the event level for themselves, while the Wranglers and Hitmen seem to share some resources within another chunk of space.
So what’s happening with the Green Line?
Earlier this week, the revised plans were announced for the new Green Line of the C-Train. And folks, there have been some changes.
The big change that’s most relevant to Flames fans is that the station to the north of Stampede Park, along 11th Avenue, is now at ground level rather than underground. The reasoning for the change is likely a combination of cost considerations and the potential for integration with the proposed “Grand Central Station” mentioned in the Government of Alberta’s recently-announced rail strategy.
Council also approved deferring construction of the Centre Street S. station and shifting the 4 Street S.E. station near Stampede Park from underground to street level, to better facilitate future regional transit connections and integration with the planned “Grand Central Station”.
They’re still hammering out specifics in terms of precisely where the Green Line will go across the 11th Avenue area, but it sounds like it’ll cross the new 6th Street underpass, have a station at ground level between 5th and 6th Street, and then dive underground before 4th Street. We’ll see how the plans develop.
Here’s how plans looked back when the station was expected to be underground, before the revisions.
Construction on the Green Line is expected to begin before the end of the year and be completed sometime in 2031. (Though, again, different parts will be done in different time-frames and it’s unclear exactly when the Victoria Park portion will be done.)
Infrastructure tie-ins
In terms of the stuff that’s happening in and around the arena and Green Line developments, it’s being managed by the folks at the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and a lot of what they’re doing is contingent on other portions of the area’s work getting completed:
- Design team for 6th Street underpass was selected in June and early planning is underway. (Construction work and scheduling will be contingent on Green Line work.)
- There will be streetscape developments along 14th Avenue – south of arena – and further enhancements elsewhere in Stampede Park down towards 25th Avenue.
- Finally, phase one of the Stampede Trail enhancements – south of 14th Avenue towards the BMO Centre – are complete, but phase two work will be coordinated with Scotia Place development. Essentially, expect the type of sidewalk and road aesthetics that are in front of the Saddledome to be continued up between 12th and 14th Avenues.
Construction
Finally, per our pals Jordan Kanygin (of CTV) and Rick Tulsie: construction prep work has begun!
The onset of the “big dig” itself won’t happen until September, but expect prep work to continue unabated throughout August. If you’re headed to the Stampede Park area for the foreseeable future: there will be some traffic impacts, so beware (and be patient).
It’s time to show some love for one of the jewels of Alberta and the world – Jasper. Over the years, Jasper has given us unforgettable experiences and memories. Now, it’s our turn to give back during this tough time. Oilersnation, Flamesnation, and The Nation Network are stepping up to help by collecting cash donations and selling special “To Jasper, with Love” T-Shirts. All net proceeds go directly to support the amazing community of Jasper.We’re partnering with local organizations to ensure the support goes where it’s needed most. To everyone in Jasper and all those affected, our thoughts are with you. We love you, and we’re here for you. Head over to nationgear.ca or click the link in our bio to purchase your T-Shirt or make a donation. Together, we can help all those affected. 
