Notley says arena funding low on the government’s list of priorities
Premier Rachel Notley was cool to the idea of the province putting dollars toward the Calgary Flames’ proposed arena megaproject on Wednesday, calling it a low priority, though she wouldn’t completely rule out the province chipping in.
The CalgaryNEXT proposal released by the NHL franchise on Tuesday calls for $ 890 million to be spent on a hockey arena, CFL stadium and amateur sport field house to be built on city- owned land west of downtown.
While there is no direct request for provincial cash in the plan at this point, the Flames said the provincial and federal governments would be asked to join the city in paying for environmental remediation of the site, the former location of a creosote plant.
That amount — estimated to cost from $ 50 million to $ 300 million — isn’t covered in the plan.
Notley noted the NDP government has received no detailed proposal or funding request related to the project.
But, she said, there is “no precedent” for the province stepping in to pay for environmental cleanup on such a site, and she suggested there were better uses for government funding than an arena.
“There are a number of capital demands on our budget. We need to build schools, we need to build hospitals, we need to deal with drought relief. There are many, many capital requests and the well is, quite frankly, only so deep,” Notley told reporters as she prepared to go door- knocking with Bob Hawkesworth, the NDP candidate in the Sept. 3 Calgary-Foothills byelection.
“That being said, if we get a request, we will consider it, like we would consider any other request.”
Notley’s comments earlier this week that the government would keep an open mind to funding the Flames’ proposal caused a stir in Edmonton, where an arena for the NHL’s Oilers is underway without direct government funding. The NDP, which swept the capital in the May 5 provincial election, opposed provincial dollars for the Edmonton arena while in opposition.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said his city should be treated equally if Calgary receives provincial funding for its arena.
Notley said with a chuckle she would tell Edmontonians “they shouldn’t be too concerned Calgary is suddenly getting funding because that’s not what’s happened.”
Flames CEO Ken King said Wednesday he has only “informally” raised the idea of the federal government paying for part of the environmental costs with some MPs and didn’t discuss the idea during his meeting with provincial Finance Minister Joe Ceci about the arena proposal.
Both Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark have expressed major reservations about the province paying for any part of the environmental cleanup.
On Wednesday, provincial Liberal Leader David Swann said there are many steps the arena proposal has to go through, but if the City of Calgary signs off on the plan, the provincial and federal governments should consider kicking in funding for environmental work.
‘“At some level, we have to say that we cannot afford the cost of leaving it as it is when it’s a tremendous economic opportunity, and so at some level we have to divvy up the responsibility at all three levels and say, we have to move ahead,” said the Calgary- Mountain View MLA.
However, Swann said, he believes the NHL franchise should be playing a much bigger role in paying for the project.
The funding formula proposed by the Flames calls for the team to pick up $ 200 million of the tab, with $ 200- million coming from the city for the field house, $ 250 million from a ticket tax and $ 240 million from a community revitalization levy.
The city envisioned potentially using a community revitalization levy to help pay for the environmental remediation as part of future development of the West Village area. The Flames’ plan instead uses money from that levy for the project itself.