For those of you who have ridden the waves of Calgary’s Event Centre since it was announced in 2019, it’s been a wild one. From green lights to budget concerns, the project has really gone through it all, but it’s been the most recent update that has really opened people’s eyes – after all how else were they supposed to see the brand new renderings of the place?!
If you haven’t been up to your neck in all of the craziness, let us bring you up to speed!
After citing budget concerns, the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation announced back in April that they were taking a beat in hopes of renegotiation.
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These discussions were successful and a week ago a series of changes were released to the public.
For one, the CMLC was actually removed as the projects manager in favour of a new team chosen by the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation.
In addition to this, a new price tag of $608.5 million ($58 million higher than the previous cost) was also agreed upon.
Lastly, the project was given a new face – which is why we’re talking about it today!
At the time, only one rendering of the new centre was released, but things change.
Today Calgarians got the very first glimpse (above) into what the Saddledome’s replacement could look like with its new budget, new team and new direction.
Designed by DIALOG, the folks behind the Calgary Public Library, the new photos depict a more rectangular take on the structure, with a large pedestrian plaza and ribbon-detailing throughout.
Unfortunately, to see it fully realized we’ll have to wait until 2024 when the project is expected to wrap. And as we’ve seen pretty plainly with this project, anything could happen between now and then.
As always, we’ll keep you guys updated as new information is released, so keep checking back, friends! We’re super excited for this one.
