Council divided over Flames arena impasse
While one city councillor was laying the blame for the halt in talks over a new Flames arena at the feet of Mayor Naheed Nenshi, others voiced disappointment with the team’s owners Thursday.
And Nenshi insisted the process of seeking a deal between the city and Flames’ owner Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. seemed on track as recently as Monday.
“It is disappointing that the ownership group has unilaterally determined that there is no deal here,” Nenshi said in a statement issued under his re-election campaign letterhead.
“CSEC was told as recently as Monday that the City is still at the table and willing to negotiate.”
Nenshi said any notion that he’s against the construction of a new arena is false and that the door to negotiating for one will always be open for “as long as I am mayor.”
But Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart on Thursday said Nenshi’s ambivalence over a new arena has coloured the city’s effort at the negotiating table and ultimately led to Flames boss Ken King declaring on Tuesday the group is no longer pursuing a deal.
“It all started out bad. The mayor said right from the beginning the arena wasn’t needed,” said ColleyUrquhart.
The mayor’s “lack of appetite” to put up money for an entertainment centre that would be paid back over time through resulting tax revenues, or a community revitalization levy was also a factor, she said.
PROVOCATION
She also cited Nenshi’s unveiling of a video vision of East Village development falsely gave the impression an arena deal was progressing, provoking the Flames’ owners.
And the decision by city council to unveil the details of the city’s offer on Friday, said Colley-Urquhart, also sets back any hope for a resumption in negotiations by compromising them.
“It won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on,” she said, adding the city shouldn’t gamble on the Flames not leaving town if an arena pact isn’t achieved.
“They think CSEC is playing this card, that it’s a hollow threat — I’m not willing to play with fire with the Flames.”
But Coun. Evan Woolley, whose ward includes the proposed CalgaryNEXT site in the downtown west end and the Victoria Park location, said he believed the two sides were close.
And he voiced surprise and dismay that the NHL team gave up on talks.
“It’s disappointing the Flames left the table. These conversations have been productive,” said Woolley.
“We’ve come a long way. I was under the impression we were very, very close … and I remain optimistic the Flames will return to the table as well.”
But he said whatever agreement is reached can’t add to Calgarians’ property tax burden or bump badly needed infrastructure projects.
“Calgarians must be engaged robustly in any proposal,” said Woolley.
Coun. Ward Sutherland also said he was baffled by the Flames spurning further discussions.
“From what we were presented, things were going along fine,” he said. “I don’t understand why they walked away.”
But Sutherland said he’d be even more surprised if negotiations don’t resume.
“This is high stakes poker and I’d be surprised if it’s over,” he said.
There are numerous paths for both sides to take to reach a deal, many that wouldn’t involve directly dinging taxpayers, added Sutherland.
And he also said he was opposed to Nenshi unveiling the details of the city’s part of the deal Friday morning.
“By releasing it, it’s making it political,” he said.