Global News Article, June 26, 2023

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.

CBC News Article, April 24, 2023

Preliminary plan for Calgary field house calls for true multi-use concept

City envisions Foothills facility would have 3 distinct areas

By: Scott Dippel Posted: April 24, 2023

It's to be a multi-sport field house and the City of Calgary says that building will accommodate much more than just one event at a time.

A preliminary plan for the facility to be built at Foothills Athletic Park was presented to a city council committee on Monday.

It shows the field house may feature an artificial turf field, track and field area as well as a large gymnasium space.

The plan calls for an artificial turf that would be large enough to support a full soccer field plus a warmup space or a football field or two fastball fields.

There would also be enough gym space for a full-sized basketball or volleyball court with spectator seating, and there could be room for 44 badminton courts or 11 basketball courts in that space.

The area for track and field could support a banked 200-metre track that meets international competition standards, and there would also be a 100-metre sprint track with eight lanes.

Having 3 areas important

The committee's chair, Coun. Jasmine Mian, said she likes the flexibility the plan would offer.

"We never want to be in a position where we have to shut down one amenity to use another amenity," said Mian, who represents Ward 3.

"The field house is designed so that you can have your soccer players playing soccer at the same time that you're having a major basketball game, at the same time you're having a track event. And that, for us, from an operating perspective, is really important."

The city will undertake a detailed design phase but some conceptual renderings were presented to the committee.

With council's approval, city administration plans to consult this spring with the 400 organizations that belong to Sport Calgary about their facility needs and how the field house could assist them.

Mian said that feedback will assist the city's work.

"I think that we're on the right track in building this. So we just need to hear from people, make sure it's hitting the mark for them as we continue to go forward."

Economic benefits

The committee also heard that the estimated economic impact of a new field house could be between $20 million and $50 million in revenues annually for Calgary's economy.

Not only would it be useful for the indoor sporting needs of Calgarians, but already officials are thinking of how the building could be used to draw events and competitions to Calgary.

The senior vice-president for sales with Tourism Calgary, Carson Ackroyd, is a member of the committee.

He said organizational work takes place years in advance of competitions and this building would open up new possibilities for Calgary.

"This facility would not only give us brand new events coming to the city but make it much easier for us to host many other events if that facility has the amenity mix that's being proposed," said Ackroyd.

Money questions

How to finance the field house project remains an open question.

There have been preliminary estimates the facility could cost up to $250 million. 

With some additional money set aside for the project during last November's civic budget debate, the city has $109 million ready to go.

Mian said the city is continuing to pursue the federal and provincial governments in hopes they will come to the table with funding for the field house.

Until that happens, detailed design work will continue.

The city estimates construction could start in 2025 with the building opening in late 2027.

LiveWire Calgary News Article, April 21, 2023

Prelim amenity mix laid out for Calgary multisport fieldhouse

Flexibility is being built into the design to accommodate many new and emerging sports, Coun. Jasmine Mian said.

By: Darren Krause Posted: April 21, 2023

The first look at the amenity mix for Calgary’s proposed multisport fieldhouse shows that flexibility for the space is a priority, said the committee chair.

The amenity refinement study update is coming up on Monday at the Multisport Fieldhouse committee meeting, and it provides the baseline mix of sports facilities it can include.  The fieldhouse became the focus of a redevelopment of the Foothills Athletic Park earlier this year.  

City admin is asking the committee to endorse the amenity proposal “that will be refined through targeted engagement.”

This is the latest step in the city’s pursuit of a multisport fieldhouse. In March, committee members were provided an update on the change in the structure of the building. Changes were made to the structure to allow for more flexibility and to change the single-span design in hopes of reducing the facility’s overall cost.

To date, there is no new costed figure, though a 2019 estimate was around $300 million.

The preliminary plan calls for a three-fold overarching breakdown for the new facility: Track and field, gymnasia and an artificial turf field. Each of these proposed areas could be transformed into as many as 13 different sporting areas (individual track and field sports not included in that tally), and varied seating capacity for each venue.

“The whole theme of this baseline amenity mix and figuring it out has really been around flexibility and adaptability and being able to have as many sports accommodated as possible,” said Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian, who chairs the committee.

“I think that shows that we are really trying to build a facility with an eye to meeting the needs of all Calgarians but also being flexible enough that we can accommodate sports as they emerge.”

The different variations in most of the sports would meet competition hosting requirements for many international sporting bodies, the city report reads.

Increased flexibility, increased cost?

When asked if creating a design that’s flexible means that the facility cost could jump, Mian said already the cost of everything has jumped.

She said, however, that by building in the flexibility, there’s resilience in the operating model.

“There are really very few things that this multisport fieldhouse wouldn’t be able to accommodate, and I think that’s so important,” Coun. Mian said.

“You look at the way that we used to build recreation facilities; they didn’t have that same flexibility to them.”

One of the reasons behind the structure change was to segment the areas so there was less conflict.

“Separate amenities would vastly reduce the number of closures of the entire facility required during events, provide more continuity and certainty to all the groups as they plan and organize their programs and activities,” said Florent Le Berre, manager of service strategies, recreation and social programs with the City of Calgary, at last month’s meeting.

That’s a big part of how this project – and the design – moves forward, Mian said.

“That means that you never have to shut down one amenity to use another amenity,” she said. With that, more user groups can operate in the planned facility instead of closing the area off. That increases the potential revenue the facility could generate.

“I think the fact that we have spectator seating, we have the ability to change things in and out so that it works for so many different sports, is great for the user experience, but it’s also a really smart financial decision,” Mian said.

Report pegs 2025 construction start

The administration report shows 2023 will be the final amenity review and then a concept design. In 2024, they have a detailed design slated. The timeline suggests a shovel-ready project by 2025.

An important note: Prior plans have also included timelines but those were not specifically met.

Mian said they’re moving on this project as fast as possible.

“I believe that this project should have been delivered to Calgarians about a decade ago,” she said.

“We picked it up and really moved it quite a ways down the field and in just a few short months.”

They’re having conversations with both levels of government for funding. The city has roughly $120 million of its own to add to the project.

Calgary MP George Chahal told LiveWire Calgary earlier this year that he’s long been a supporter of the fieldhouse project. He was the chair of the Foothills Athletic Park Redevelopment Advisory Committee (FAPRAC) when he was a member of Calgary city council.

While the city included the fieldhouse funding on its list of priorities for the provincial budget, it wasn’t funded. Mian said, however, they’re having productive conversations.

“The support is there. I think that we’re just in a bit of a holding pattern right now and we’ll kind of see what comes down the pipe as those conversations are ongoing,” Mian said.

The city will have more engagement through May and June, they’ll generate operating and social return on investment analyses before a final amenity mix is proposed.

If this preliminary amenity mix is approved, it would still need approval at a full meeting of Calgary city council.

CBC News Article, March 2, 2023

New concept for a potential fieldhouse in Calgary takes shape

The new direction could lessen the overall cost of the project, says Coun. Mian

By: Omar Sherif Posted: Mar 2, 2023

There's a sense of optimism among sports groups in Calgary after the city's latest update on a potential multisport fieldhouse.

An indoor sports facility like this one has been on the city's unfunded projects list for decades — but now, it may finally become a reality.

City council's new Multisport Fieldhouse Committee held its inaugural meeting Wednesday, working toward a vision for what the city called Calgary's first community-centered, competition-capable multisport fieldhouse.

It would be constructed at Foothills Athletic Park in northwest Calgary, on the site currently occupied by a baseball stadium.

The group is now refining the concepts for what the new fieldhouse should include.

"The new amenity that they're bringing forward, the new concept, separates the different areas so that soccer can play at the same time that track can play and it's making sure that it's competition ready," said Coun. Jasmine Mian, the chair of the committee. 

"We want to build something that we can host competitions at and people can use right away."

The committee is now envisioning a 200-metre track instead of 400 metres, and segmenting the building so that an indoor field is on one side with the track and courts on the other side.

That concept is also expected to help reduce the cost of the roof structure for the space, Mian said.

The city has put aside $109 million for the project but is looking for other funding sources for the project that was first envisioned more than 10 years ago.

Along with the cost, the new plan reflects a vision that the city wants to implement — eliminating the barrier of entry for those who want to play sports.

"Since the original concept plan for the fieldhouse was developed in 2010, the sport and recreation landscape in Calgary has changed," said Heather Johnson, the city's director of recreation and social programs. 

"We want to ensure the amenity mix and layout for the fieldhouse serves as many sport and community groups as possible while minimizing required tax support."

Once the required money is locked down, the city says it will take five years to design and construct the building, which could cost about a quarter of a billion dollars.

The wider, longer-term plan for the Foothills Athletic Park area envisions new and renewed athletic facilities on the city-owned portion of that land, while the University of Calgary would pursue plans for residential and commercial developments on the adjacent land it owns, which includes McMahon Stadium.

LiveWire Calgary News Article, February 27, 2023

Citizens have a chance to talk about Calgary’s multisport fieldhouse

The fieldhouse project, previously estimated at around $300 million, would need provincial and federal support to proceed.

By: Darren Krause Posted: Feb 27, 2023

The public will have an opportunity to speak Wednesday at a city committee about the proposed Calgary multisport fieldhouse.

In January, councillors made the fieldhouse the focal point of the Foothills Area Redevelopment Plan, saying it would be the catalyst for further growth in the area. In doing so, they folded the prior Foothills Athletic Park Redevelopment Advisory Committee (FAPRAC) and started a new committee dedicated to moving along the long-awaited multisport facility.

Wednesday marks the first meeting of the committee.

In that meeting, there’s a recommendation from admin to come back with “amenity requirements that consider the vision, operational and event hosting requirements” to a meeting in Q2.

“The Fieldhouse responds to a long-standing need for indoor practice and play space in Calgary and is envisioned as a community hub and world-class sport tourism destination that will raise the profile of Calgary, Alberta and Canada,” the admin report reads.

As a part of this meeting, committee members will consider a procedural request to have the public speak on the item.

Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian, who chairs the committee, said with it being the first meeting, it was important to hear from the community on a project they’ve been working toward for a long time.

“I’m interested to hear about the project from multiple angles,” Mian said.

She said there’s the obvious sports aspect, but there are economic and tourism angles to the project as well.

“Calgary is one of the only major cities without a multisport fieldhouse and we are the richest province and spend the second least on sport per capita,” Coun. Mian said.

“I think it’s really important that we hear from those who are most affected by this and start with those thoughts in mind.”

Validating the fieldhouse needs

With the admin plan to bring forward the amenity refinements, Mian said this presents a stream to find out what’s needed.

“It’s not only what’s said at committee, but there’s a lot of engagement going on in the background to ensure that we’re revalidating the need and making sure that the community voices are heard on this,” Mian said.

Given the opportunity, many of the groups pushing the fieldhouse project will likely line up to support the project on Wednesday.  When asked, Coun. Mian didn’t seem concerned it would be a cheerleading session.

“Like any project, it’s not going to proceed without feedback and without criticism, but that’s how great city building gets done,” she said.

The city has set aside more than $100 million for the project, including a recent $20 million addition. They’d need provincial and federal support for the project to move ahead. The last figure, from 2019, pegged the cost of the building at nearly $300 million.

Prior to this committee, FAPRAC was steering an overarching, mixed-used development plan for the area. The fieldhouse was still a centerpiece in that plan.  

The former chair of that now-defunct committee, and current Calgary-Skyview Liberal MP George Chahal, told LiveWire Calgary that he believes the fieldhouse holds the most public benefit of any of the city’s major projects.

He was keen to see federal support for it, too.

“I want to work closely with city council to ensure that we can get this project off the ground and moving forward as quickly as possible,” he said.

Calgary Herald News Article, February 25, 2023

New fieldhouse committee to hold inaugural meeting on Wednesday

By: Brodie Thomas Posted: Feb 25, 2023

A new council committee tasked with getting a multisport fieldhouse constructed in Calgary will meet for the first time this week, and advocates for the project say it’s a step in the right direction.

The Multisport Fieldhouse Committee meets for the first time Wednesday. It is replacing the Foothills Athletic Park Redevelopment Assessment Committee, which was disbanded last month.

While the previous committee looked at the larger development of the area around McMahon Stadium, this new committee will focus specifically on the fieldhouse.

Dale Schoenthaler, a board member on the Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society and head coach of the University of Calgary Athletics Club, said the focused approach is what’s needed right now.

“I think when they were looking at the big, big picture, it was just too overwhelming,” he said.

Schoenthaler said Calgary is the only major city in Canada that doesn’t have an indoor fieldhouse capable of hosting track and field events.

He said members of the U of C Athletic team are in Saskatoon this week for a western Canada competition, and he wants to see Calgary benefit economically from the hosting of such events.

When constructed, the fieldhouse wouldn’t just be for elite athletes. Schoenthaler listed off games such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey and ultimate frisbee as examples of sports that would be accommodated.

“Right now we have 21 sporting groups that are asking and would love to have training space,” he said.

The city has already earmarked $109 million in funding for the fieldhouse, including $20 million set aside in the most recent budget.

The hope is to secure one-third shares of funding from the other two levels of government.

Committee chair Jasmine Mian said the project has been identified as a need since 2008, and the previous committee has already come up with a concept for the entire Foothills Athletic Park.

“At that concept level, there wasn’t more to really accomplish,” she said. “But what needed to start happening is, the concept needed to be put into action and so there has to be a first mover in the fieldhouse is something that the city had already set aside money for.”

She said the design of the building is still up in the air, although there are some early conceptual designs on paper.

“What we’ve asked administration to do is to consider that vision and also the operational and event-hosting requirements to make sure that this is a great facility that can host events that can meet community need, and bring forward suggestions of exactly how it’s going to look,” said Mian.

At the Wednesday meeting, they’ll be opening the floor to any citizens who want to speak about the need for a fieldhouse, and what they’d like to see incorporated in it.

Mian said they’re expecting to hear not only from the sporting community, but also from organizations like Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Chamber and the Calgary Construction Association, who can speak to the economic impact of a new fieldhouse.

Although she is a former Olympian with a love of sport, Mian said she is trying to lead this project because she knows it will be used by everyday Calgarians.

“It’s not just for Olympic athletes or amateur athletes,” she said. “It’s for little kids learning to play soccer for the first time right up to your senior citizens who are looking to stay active and healthy.”

CBC News Article, January 30, 2023

City has $109M for field house but needs cash from other governments

Council focusing on project to spur redevelopment of McMahon Stadium area

By: Scott Dippel Posted: Jan 30, 2023

The City of Calgary has assembled $109 million to build a multisport field house but it will need other governments to chip in before any construction can start.

For more than a decade, the city has been planning a field house at the Foothills Athletic Park. It would be built on the site of the city's main baseball stadium.

A council committee has been working in recent years on plans for redevelopment of the park and has developed a concept plan for the area around McMahon Stadium.

That plan envisions new and renewed athletic facilities on the city-owned portion of that land while the University of Calgary would pursue plans for residential and commercial developments on the land it owns, which includes McMahon Stadium.

After a committee meeting Monday, the chair of the panel said the city's efforts will now focus on building the field house, which could be a catalyst for further developments in the area.

"It really does require a first mover, and so that's what the city is planning to do with moving forward with that field house," said Coun. Jasmine Mian.

"The overall beautiful vision for the Foothills Athletic Park area will take many years to realize, but we won't realize it unless we start somewhere."

Other governments needed

The city plan is based on a few moves.

Mian said it has to approach the federal and provincial governments to gauge their levels of interest in investing in the project.

As well, she said, administration will check with local sports organizations to ensure the plan for the multisport field house includes all the modern amenities they need.

The results of that consultation will go to the committee later this year.

A new field house is also viewed as key to drawing various national competitions to Calgary, something that will also benefit the local economy.

Mayor sees catalyst

Mayor Jyoti Gondek had praise Monday for the partner organizations looking at the future of the Foothills Athletic Park area, including the University of Calgary, the McMahon Stadium Society, Sport Calgary and Tourism Calgary.

She said trying to propel the project forward will help bring about the overall vision for the area.

"I think it's going to allow us to deliver that first critical piece of infrastructure that will trigger more investment," said Gondek.

City administration notes that the need for a indoor practice and play space in Calgary hasn't changed since a 2008 report. The field house project remains a top unfunded city infrastructure project.

Major projects list

In 2019, city council committed itself to moving forward on four major projects deemed important to the city's economic future.

The list includes the field house as well as expanding the BMO Centre at Stampede Park, building a new event centre to replace the Saddledome and expanding/renovating Arts Commons.

Construction on the $500-million BMO Centre expansion is well underway, the city is negotiating a new arena deal with the owners of the Calgary Flames and design work is advancing on the Arts Commons expansion.

The money set aside for the field house has come through budget allocations in recent years, including $20 million in last November's civic budget. 

There were estimates that a field house could cost up to $250 million, but a city official acknowledged Monday that a final price tag won't be known until a design is completed.

LiveWire Calgary News Article, January 30, 2023

Foothills multisport fieldhouse will be the focus of the area’s redevelopment plan

Plans are actively underway on a Calgary fieldhouse as a part of the overall redevelopment of Foothills Athletic Park. (CITY OF CALGARY RECREATION)

By Darren Krause Posted: Jan 30, 2023

Calgary will focus on the multisport fieldhouse component of the Foothills Athletic Park as it moves forward with the area’s redevelopment.

The final report of the Foothills Athletic Park Redevelopment Assessment Committee was delivered Monday morning. Along with that was a commitment to advance a specific aspect that city officials said would be the area’s “catalyst.”

They will move ahead with a new committee and new terms of reference starting Feb. 14, according to the committee chair, Coun. Jasmine Mian.  It will outline a focus on pursuing a multisport fieldhouse.

“I’ve had a couple of questions already as to whether this is an abandonment of this particular concept plan. It certainly is not,” Mian said.

“This is an extension of the work that we have been doing. And, as with any good city planning, you really do start at the overall concept level and then you get a little bit more specific as you go.”

The overarching plan, first started in 2019, looked at the long-term redevelopment of the area around Foothills Athletic Park into a mixed-use area, including McMahon Stadium.  

The anchor of the area would be a 2019-estimated $285 million fieldhouse.

City of Calgary recreation director Heather Johnson said the new committee would solidify a vision for the athletic park and find capital funding for it.

“The fieldhouse is the first step towards realizing the vision for the Foothills Athletic Park,” Johnson said.

Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong asked what would happen with the overall concept plan for the area’s redevelopment. Administration said the fieldhouse was the first component that would catalyze further investment in the area.

Right now, the city has set aside $109 million to help fund the project, Johnson said. Most recently, the 2023-2026 budget added $20 million.

The city didn’t include an anticipated cost for the fieldhouse in this report. Michael Thompson, the city’s GM for Infrastructure Services said that as they go through the design process, they’ll finalize the estimated cost.

“Obviously, in today’s infrastructure climate we’re always facing inflationary pressure,” Thompson said.

“So, we’ll see what the number comes in as we move to the next step.”

The city would be after contributions from other orders of government for the fieldhouse project.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said getting to this point is the culmination of efforts from both administration and partner organizations like Sport Calgary, McMahon Stadium, Tourism Calgary and the University of Calgary.

“I think it’s going to allow us to deliver that first critical piece of infrastructure that will trigger more investment,” she said.

City administration will complete an amenity refinement study by Q2 2023, to ensure the fieldhouse facility meets the needs of a variety of city sports organizations.

Calgary Herald News Article, November 27, 2022

'Critical juncture': Council commits $20M to field house; city seeking funding from province, feds

The city is looking to higher levels of government to get the long-awaited sports complex project across the line

By: Michael Rodriguez Posted: Nov 27, 2022

A Calgary city councillor is hoping that a funding commitment to a long-awaited multi-sport field house will open the door to hundreds of millions in funding from the provincial and federal governments.

During budget deliberations last week, council approved a $20-million commitment to the Foothills Fieldhouse, a large complex that’s planned to be built adjacent to McMahon Stadium at the current Foothills Athletic Park. The fieldhouse would feature multiple courts, athletic areas and a 400-metre track, filling current gaps in the city’s offerings of indoor sports facilities.

The city’s webpage for the project plots the cost at more than $285 million over five years. Coun. Jasmine Mian said the city will leverage its funding commitment in hopes of getting most of that cost covered by the provincial and federal governments.

“We’re at a critical juncture I think right now with the field house project in that the city has committed to doing it,” the Ward 3 councillor and former Olympic wrestler told Postmedia on Sunday. “Now we’ve set the money aside, and we’re going to our provincial and federal partners and asking them to join us at the table to get this project across the line.”

The city has sent letters outlining the funding request to provincial and federal officials, but if higher levels of government don’t kick in their share, Mian said the city should find a way to cover the entire cost itself. “We have to get this built for people,” she said, adding she believes the project is about 40 years overdue.

“We’re one of the only major cities in Canada that doesn’t have a field house,” she said. “Anyone who’s played competitive sports, anyone who’s a parent who has a child who plays competitive sports, probably at one time or another had to go up to Edmonton to compete in their field house.”

The Foothills Fieldhouse is one of the city’s “big four” priority capital projects, the others being the event centre that will eventually replace the Saddledome, the BMO Centre expansion and the Arts Commons transformation. Mian lauded the field house as the only one that’s a “true quality of life project for everyday Calgarians,” with the others likely seeing seldom use by most residents.

“I think a field house is something that is so important for people’s health. It’s a form of crime prevention for youth, it’s a form of healthy living for so many people and it’s really sorely needed,” she said.

Mian said a world-class field house would give athletes of all ages more sporting options in Calgary, helping to move the city away from its winter sports focus to allow more opportunities in summer sports and help draw big events that could also act as a boost to tourism.

“The fact that it’s contemplated that that facility would have a 400-metre track would allow Calgary to become a great center for track and field — even better than it is,” she said. “I think that this is such a great city-shaping project that would help so many people, and I’m really hopeful that we can get it funded with the help of our other levels of government.”

Currently, there’s no firm timeline for the construction of the Foothills Fieldhouse. Council first began talking about the project in 2019, but Mian estimates the city is still several years out from breaking ground.

Council approved a concept plan for the Foothills and McMahon area in September 2021, which reimagines the area with multiple new amenities including the long-awaited field house, outdoor fields, renovations to the aging McMahon Stadium, and an entertainment district featuring hotels and mixed-use residential buildings.

CBC News Article, September 3, 2021

Masterplan for makeover of Foothills Athletic Park in northwest Calgary gets council committee approval

Vision to be discussed by city council later this month

CBC News · Posted: Sep 03, 2021

A concept plan for Foothills Athletic Park that envisions a multisport field house, 2,500 residential units and a hotel was approved by a council committee Thursday.

The Foothills Athletic Park redevelopment advisory committee is in charge of examining the future of the area around McMahon Stadium in the city's northwest.

The planned redevelopment would completely overhaul the area, dismantling the existing baseball stadium and replacing it with a long-sought indoor fieldhouse, while McMahon Stadium would be completely renovated and surrounded by retail, restaurants, a hotel and residential buildings. 

The chair of the committee, Coun. George Chahal, says the idea was to provide a vision of what the site could become.

"Council wanted us to create a concept master plan of the entire site, to make sure that we engaged with all stakeholders and look at all the opportunities that are available," he said.

He says it also gives Calgarians an opportunity to envision what can be built in the community and a sense of what's possible.

"It provides us a business case and an opportunity to talk about what the opportunities are, what the potential revenues and costs could be," Chahal said.

The fieldhouse would cost more than $200 million while capital costs to prepare for redevelopment would require tens of millions more.

The land in question is split almost evenly between the city on the northern half and the University of Calgary on the southern portion, where McMahon is located. 

The university has said in the past that it has no money to contribute to the fieldhouse development. 

The proposal will be discussed by city council on Sept.13.