Operations and construction costs will be provided by the City of Calgary and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. April 25, 2023 (Photo 38765081 © Ldredge | Dreamstime.com)

By Christian Oldale

New arena and event centre announced for Calgary

Apr 25, 2023 | 4:21 PM

CALGARY, AB – The City of Calgary, the Alberta government and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enable construction of a new arena and events centre.

The project was announced April 25, 2023, with a conference featuring Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

Smith said, “This new arena and event centre will be at the heart of Calgary’s sports, entertainment and cultural scene for generations, and will result in billions of dollars of economic activity and a higher quality of life for millions of Albertans.”

Under the MOU entered into by the province, the provincial government will not be investing in the construction or operation of the arena itself. Operations and construction costs will be provided by the City of Calgary and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC).

Instead, the province will provide up to $300 million, most of which will be spent over the next three years. It will cover work such as road and bridge construction, LRT connection, site utilities, site reclamation and other supportive infrastructure.

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The province will also partner with the city to build a new 1,000-seat community arena next to the main arena that will serve youth and amateur hockey. The province’s contribution for that facility would be up to $30 million.

Mayor Gondek said, “This project is another signal to the market that Calgary is making strong investments in its future. The partnership approach we have taken accomplishes two things: we are building an event centre, and we are also creating the public amenities needed within the Rivers District to enhance quality of life for all Calgarians.”

The province’s commitments are subject to approval by the cabinet and treasury board by August 2023.

Read more: Lethbridge News Now