Nenshi sees irony in public Flames letter insisting arena negotiations be private
The decision to publicly release a letter from the Flames calling for “media silence” in the event of renewed arena negotiations is “fascinating,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Wednesday.
“I did find it interesting that my colleague released a letter publicly that said, ‘we want no public disclosure on this,’” Nenshi told reporters during an unrelated announcement marking the five-year flood anniversary.
“The whole thing is kind of fascinating. But as I’ve said to members of that council committee — and I do sit on that committee but I’m not going to take a leadership role on it — fill your boots. If there is an opportunity to start a new discussion and have a new conversation, great. Let’s do it.”
The mayor’s comments come a day after Coun. Jeff Davison revealed he had received a letter from Flames president and CEO Ken King regarding the potential relaunch of negotiations for a new arena and events centre.
The letter stipulates certain conditions on any further negotiations, including the requirement of “a preliminary discussion to determine what may have changed in the City’s view to warrant our re-engaging.”
King also said it was “imperative” that negotiations happen behind closed doors.
“Public and/or media involvement must only be rendered in the event of an agreement,” King wrote.
Davison told Postmedia that he understood King’s comments to be in reference to the city ’s routine practice of maintaining confidentiality during negotiations — at least until a deal is reached that can be taken to city council for approval. Davison said the Flames knew he was releasing the letter.
“At the end of the day, everybody is trying to be transparent. We all have feelings on the deal, and that is what it is,” he said.
Asked about the mayor’s comments Wednesday, Davison said he didn’t think they were helpful.
“I’m a little disappointed that he seems to have a negative tone on everything right out of the starting gate, when we’re trying to push the reset button and have an optimistic look at what we can do,” Davison said.
“This committee was able to engage with a stakeholder that we haven’t been able to engage with for some time — I would hope that he’d think that’s a positive because, frankly, he campaigned on getting this done. He wanted to get an arena done.”
Nenshi also said Wednesday that he believes Calgarians agree with him that any future arena deal involving public dollars “must have public benefit.”
The mayor added that he doesn’t want the city to entertain a return to the Flames’ CalgaryNEXT proposal at a site in the West Village — a plan the city suggested could cost double the Flames’ original estimate.
“It’s going to take a lot to convince me that there’s a location better than the location in Victoria Park. I’m happy to have the discussion, I’m not happy to re-litigate (the) $1.8-billion project in West Village.
“I’m happy to look at other ideas but, for me, that analysis has been done, and Victoria Park is the best.”
A spokesman for the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., which owns the Flames, declined a request for comment Wednesday.