September 18, 2024
Gareth Webster, File Manager
Circulation Control Planning and Development
P.O. Box 2100 Station M
Calgary, AB IMC 8201
RE: DP2024-05327 — Calgary Event Centre Block
Dear Gareth,
I am writing on behalf of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association (BNA) in response to the development permit application for the proposed Event Centre at 519 12 Avenue SW. The BNA previously provided feedback for the 2021 land-use redesignation application for this project, and we are pleased to see that the current proposal, which benefits from a larger site, addresses many of the concerns we raised with the earlier design.
Our Beltline Urban Development Committee (BUDC) has carefully reviewed the latest application. Additionally, we had the opportunity to meet with the applicant on July 31, 2024, as part of a broader community stakeholder effort, to discuss the proposal in further detail.
As the Event Centre represents a substantial investment of public dollars—with the City expecting limited direct monetary returns from facility revenues—we recognize the importance of the potential indirect benefits, such as increased tourism and development. With public funding, it is essential that the Event Centre contribute positively to the neighbourhood and public realm, advance the vision for the Culture and Entertainment District, align with the goals of the Beltline ARP, and be consistent with the City’s sustainability objectives. Our feedback on the development permit application is framed with these priorities in mind.
Public Realm
The Rivers District Master Plan identifies the intersection of 12 Avenue and 4 Street SE as a “critical corner,” and refers to it with terms like “Centre Ice,” highlighting its importance as a key node. However, the new Event Centre design prioritizes the opposite, southwest corner of the building as its primary entrance. This southwest access point features the largest gate to the facility and a more expansive plaza than what has been designed for the northwest corner, facing the critical intersection. This design implies a primarily inward orientation, facing the Calgary Stampede’s extensive surface parking lot. While the treatment of the northwest corner has improved significantly from the earlier design, the BNA continues to believe that this corner should be the building’s most prominent face. It offers a vital opportunity to engage with the public realm, open up to the community and better align the facility with nearby developments and key infrastructure, such as the Green Line. Focusing the site plan towards the Stampede parking lot suggests an ongoing reliance on personal vehicle use as the primary means of accessing the facility—an approach we sincerely hope is not part of the long-term vision, especially given the significant ongoing investments in public transit and active transportation infrastructure in the area.
The BNA generally feels that the building’s active edges, connected to its concourse level, have been effectively and thoughtfully designed. Once again, we recognize a significant improvement over previous iterations, which can be attributed, in part, to the expanded site.
Some members of our committee expressed concern about the deletion of the double allee of trees along 12 Avenue. This was a key aspect of the Stampede’s previous investments in the public realm. As these are an important feature of the community for many people, we would encourage the applicant to explore opportunities to retain them.
Parking
We believe that providing on-site structured parking is unnecessary, wasteful, and a poor use of public funds. The current development permit includes approximately 550 parking stalls within the building—more than double the number from the previous proposal. By any measure, this represents a very large parking facility. We believe that this feature contradicts the reality of the site context and surrounding area, as well as the City’s stated transportation and sustainability goals. Even with the loss of surface parking due to the new Event Centre, there remains ample supply in the immediate vicinity, with the Calgary Stampede alone retaining one of the largest parking portfolios in the city. Additionally, our understanding is that the existing Saddledome will be replaced with more surface parking after its demolition. Given this reality, we do not see any justification for further structured parking in the new Event Centre. If the goal is to provide dedicated parking for VIPs, improving the existing Saddledome parking garage and enhancing connections to the new building would be a far more prudent use of public funds.
For comparison, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto offers less than half the VIP parking spaces while hosting high value and well-attended NHL and NBA franchises. Vancouver’s Rogers Arena has on-site parking, but none of it is available to patrons on game days. Both venues rely heavily on public transit. Edmonton’s Rogers Place relies on the ICE District central parkade, which, when considered as a whole, offers significantly less parking than what is available within walking distance of the proposed Event Centre.
The new Event Centre is already well served by the Red Line LRT. In the future, it will be a short walk from the Green Line LRT and the province’s much-publicized "Grand Central Station" vision, which could include both commuter and intercity rail lines. Given that the province is a funding partner for the project, we would have hoped for better alignment between these initiatives.
Noise Attenuation
We understand that the City is considering a relaxation of the Community Standards Bylaw to allow noise levels exceeding 50 dB to continue past 10:00 pm. This would be a permanent exemption, applying only to the new Event Centre site. We are aware that technologies exist to provide the necessary sound attenuation, which would negate the need for such an exemption. As reported by CBC, the cost of these measures is approximately $8 million—just a small portion of the nearly $1 billion overall budget. A reduction in the quantity of structured parking could easily offset this cost.
After hearing from community members, and particularly residents living near the site, the BNA strongly believes that the decision to forego sound attenuation must be reconsidered. The Beltline is not only a popular destination for visitors but also one of Calgary's densest and most populated residential neighbourhoods. It is important to recognize that the Beltline is home to thousands of people, and the BNA has long advocated for more family-friendly housing options, including affordable 3- and 4-bedroom units in new developments. Granting a permanent exemption for excessive nighttime noise 365 days a year is completely antithetical to the type of neighbourhood we are working to create.
While it is commonly understood—and accepted—that living near Stampede Park comes with increased impacts during the 10 days of Stampede each year, the proposed exemption for the Event Centre far exceeds this expectation. It is both unreasonable and incorrect to equate the two scenarios. As a community association, we are not prepared to ask our residents to accept a bylaw amendment that could permanently diminish their quality of life in the Beltline. Therefore, we are prepared to advocate strongly for the City and CSEC to reconsider their commitment to implementing proper noise attenuation measures.
In summary, the BNA supports this application and is of the mind that the building will do much to help realize the full potential of the Rivers District. We are pleased to see that the design has been significantly improved from the original iteration that was presented in 2021, and we commend the applicant team for working to rectify concerns that were raised previously. With that in mind, we still believe there is room for improvement, particularly with respect to the interface with 12 Avenue at the northwest corner of the building, the approach to parking, and noise mitigation.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback. Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Tyson Bolduc
Director of Planning, BNA
cc: Ward 8 Office
Dave White, CivicWorks
Development Circulations