Albertasaurus
Senior Member
I think you're on to something here. I'm not a fan of the angular entrances and random weird windows either.
- Thread starter Meikkhaell
- Start date
Tothewest
Active Member
I don't think we can discount the Truman hotels. They aren't Stampede Trail, but they certainly are Rivers District. It's never been JUST about building SP...it's the 17th connection, LRT, BMO, Stampede Trail, Cleaning up and filling in the east beltline does indirectly push development toward the Scotia Place area
CalgaryTiger
Senior Member
Right, there are a lot of large-scale developments coming near the arena. My comment was in the context of entertainment districts being THE thing for sports teams. I think CSEC has some options on some land around the arena but don't remember the details. I guess I was hoping for a proposal along Stampede Trail and parcels adjacent to the billion-dollar arena project. You know? maybe at least one proposal on a parcel like this:
Tothewest
Active Member
I could be wrong here, but would imagine there needs to be some Green Line station/Rail clarity before those north lots are developed. I agree though, would be nice to see the lots on the east side of BMO/Cowboys developed...and I think they will in the short/medium term. The N/NE lots might lag a bit
Albertasaurus
Senior Member
Anyone know of an "arena district" that has been unquestionably successful? Examples which I am aware of (Edmonton, Detroit, Columbus) seem pretty underwhelming as far as I can tell.
Roaring Flames
Senior Member
Columbus is actually really impressive if you compare the area around the arena now to before. It's also a great example of uniform district material use.
Albertasaurus
Senior Member
I'd agree the materials look good. It's definitely very low scale compared to what gets built here, but I suppose that makes sense being that Columbus' downtown is a lot smaller than ours.
CalgaryTiger
Senior Member
I think the list is Columbus and LA
I wouldn't say Edmonton's Ice District has had an effect beyond its own developments. Detroit's is the same as Edmonton, neither has been a catalyst for more.
Outside of arenas, I read good things about what's around Atlanta's new baseball stadium. It is supposedly busy 365 days a year.
I visited LA Live and it was pretty decent, but was quiet, even on a game day. In all fairness it was 1:00pm, but it's often hailed as one of the best examples.
Personally, I don't think of new arena districts as drivers of vibrancy. The areas around arenas that are the most vibrant, are ones where the arena was built in area already busy. Like the arena in Nashville, or MSG, the old Montreal forum on St Catherines.
Personally, I don't think of new arena districts as drivers of vibrancy. The areas around arenas that are the most vibrant, are ones where the arena was built in area already busy. Like the arena in Nashville, or MSG, the old Montreal forum on St Catherines.
FCC1982
Senior Member
Tothewest
Active Member
I'd say Detroit was the only one that has really struggled. Edmonton's is a poor design imo, but it's not nothing. Some have been built downtown, but without a real "plan", or design that helped it. They sort of just expected things to happen organically. The thinking is different now. Atlanta, Carolina, Boston, Milwaukee, Denver, Dallas (this week), LA, Anaheim are all executing team-led developments that then assist the overall plan. CGY is unique though, we really just needed infrastructure updates (proper street grid, underpass, 17th connection), the Flames wont really need to play a role beyond what SP is providing externally
edit: add Tampa, that one is incredible and probably the best. Very comparable to Calgary, more of a neighborhood grid than just an entertainment district
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CalgaryTiger
Senior Member
I think CSEC have been given land to develop around the arena. So, they will play a role.
trtcttc
Senior Member
If we get Grand Central built, there would be a node there that will drive more residential. The problem with some of these entertainment district in a sea of parking lots is that arenas are actually not nice places to live near. You may go to a few games a year, but there's noise year round. There will be some restaurants, but mostly sports bars and the like. With office buildings at a standstill, especially in Calgary, you're left with hotels and residential. We're getting quite a few hotels already. If there's added transit connection, it's far more likely to get a mixed use district going as the train will bring a certain amount of traffic nearby for restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
Tothewest
Active Member
Well that would be their choice, if they want to, awesome! We don't NEED them to though. The foot traffic, road network, venues, and access are all in place by next summer, it's prime for investment.
I'd encourage anyone to look into Water Street Tampa. That's what I envision it to look like, less of an entertainment district. True, they are going to build a smaller entertainment venue (ala, saddledome/stampede site in ycc), but largely its a 3-4 block neighborhood, with tasteful landscaping on a normal grid. There's no "plaza" per say, 1-2 office buildings, a hotel or two, 3-4 residential buildings, 4-5 restaurants, some more quick service food. They aren't funneling people into one space, or getting rid of streets...it's just a normal, parcel by parcel development. A continuation of East Village, basically
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Roaring Flames
Senior Member
I doubt CSEC has any plans to build anything other than maybe a hotel on the NE corner. They've had almost a decade to sort out any plans in the area for further development, and we haven't heard anything from them.