The Calgary Flames and city officials announced on Wednesday that the two sides will resume negotiations regarding a new arena for the franchise.
The two sides had come to an agreement back in 2019, but the deal fell part in 2021 just weeks before construction was slated to begin on the $650 million project. The deal collapsed when the estimated cost of the arena increased and the Flames withdrew from the deal.
In January 2022, Calgary city officials hired a third-party consulting firm, CAA ICON, in an attempt to revive the new arena project, and now talks are set to resume. Calgary believes that building a new arena north of the Saddledome will lead to a revitalized commercial and residential district for the city.
“All parties share a collective desire to see a new event center constructed in Calgary. We look forward to discussions with the city to see if we can find an acceptable path forward,” Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. president and CEO John Bean said in a statement released by the city of Calgary.
There’s no timeline on how long it’ll take to reach a deal for a new arena for the Flames, but both sides are committed to making it a reality.
“I think it’s a great step, the fact that we’re speaking and having those formal discussions now,” president of Calgary Economic Development Brad Parry told the Calgary Herald. “We’re going to get it right, we’re going to keep doing this, but we’re not going to rush it.”
The Flames have played in their current arena, the Saddledome, for the past 39 years. The Saddledome is the second-oldest arena in the NHL behind only Madison Square Garden, which is home to the New York Rangers.
