Proposed $380M multi-sport fieldhouse clears next hurdle at Calgary city hall
Calgary's Multi-Sport Fieldhouse Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed mix of amenities and a move to the design phase for the long-awaited fieldhouse project.
By: Adam MacVicar Posted: June 26, 2023
Calgary’s proposed multi-sport fieldhouse has been given the green light from a city committee to move to the next stage, following a study to determine what type of amenities the facility would offer.
The city’s multi-sport fieldhouse committee voted unanimously Monday in favour of the mix of amenities and allowing the project to proceed to the design phase, but it still requires final approval by city council as a whole.
The results of the amenity refinement study is similar to what was proposed back in March, including a track and field area with a 200-metre hydraulic track and separate 130-metre 10-lane sprint track, gymnasia with a feature court, six regular courts and two multi-activity courts, and an indoor artificial turf field.
Supporting infrastructure, such as change rooms, team rooms and seating, as well as ancillary spaces like a fitness area, food services, daycare space and commercial space, are also included in the proposal.
City administration surveyed more than 130 sports groups and representatives to determine the list of facilities the fieldhouse would need to include.
Multi-Sport Fieldhouse Committee chair and Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian said the facility’s design would need to strike a balance to ensure all the needs are met.
“I think administration has the tough job of bringing forward the best possible compromise between all of it, while making sure it’s specific enough to meet people’s needs but not so broad and flexible that it doesn’t meet anyone’s particular needs,” Mian told reporters.
The report pegged the estimated cost at $380 million but administration noted that figure is in 2027 dollars and also includes costs to demolish Foothills Stadium, which currently sits on the site.
The project’s cost estimate is up from the numbers released in 2019, which estimated a required budget of between $280 million and $300 million to build the long-awaited fieldhouse.
“There’s been inflationary price adjustments from when we got the numbers back in 2019,” said Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong. “We have to see what the developers and designers are going to come back with the final price and that will be the determining factor.”
However, the amenity study anticipates an economic impact from the fieldhouse of between $20 million and $63.6 million annually through hosting opportunities for different international sporting events.
A city report identified more than 20 events the city could host with a multi-sport fieldhouse including the World Athletics Indoor Championships and the Basketball Champions League.
While the City of Calgary is studying the feasibility of bidding to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, a report said the fieldhouse is “not contingent on a successful bid,” but could help the city’s chances.
“Calgary does not currently have the infrastructure to support international competition for indoor track and field, national competition for gymnasia and court sports or regional competition for indoor field sports,” a city report said.
The facility would also be used by various local sports groups, many of which had representatives speak on the proposed project at Monday’s committee meeting.
Many of the speakers, representing local sports from soccer to track and field, basketball and volleyball, made it clear to city councillors that Calgary is lacking the capacity for indoor sports facilities; an issue they feel needs to be addressed.
Cheridan Johnson, an athlete with the Calgary Minor Soccer Association, said the city is at a disadvantage in the winter months.
“I’m confident when I speak for many soccer players in Calgary in saying that we are frustrated with the lack of indoor facilities for training and for games,” Johnson told the committee.
Ben Matchett, athletic director for the University of Calgary, told the committee that sporting events have pushed many former university athletes to the highest levels of sport, but there are many sporting events the university can’t host.
“Because we lack this indoor track amenity, our track and field program which has won 16 conference and four national championships over its history … has never hosted a major indoor meet,” Matchett said.
Others like the Calgary Minor Basketball Association, said the organization was in favour of the proposed location of the fieldhouse due to the lack of rentable courts in north Calgary.
The City of Calgary has earmarked $109 million so far for the fieldhouse project, but administration noted that other contributions from the province and federal government would be required, with a risk the project would be unable to move past the design phase without it.
While Mian said conversations are “ongoing” with the city’s provincial and federal partners, some advocates expressed frustration there aren’t commitments already in place.
“As much excitement as we’ve got, notably absent is having some sort of direct line and communication from the province and the feds. I find that disappointing,” said Jason Zaran of the Calgary Multi-Sport Fieldhouse Society.
“When you’ve got a true public facility that the city already has money on the table for, easily the province could’ve stepped up for this but instead they decided to get the press clipping for doing the event centre.”
City administration said current timelines would have the fieldhouse completed sometime in 2027.