Calgary Minute: Arena Deal, Downtown Sheriffs, and Deerfoot Trail Upgrades

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

This Week In Calgary:

• The Community Development Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is the 2022 Civic Partners Annual Report, which provides information regarding the City’s return on investment of operating grant funding provided to Civic Partners. These partners include the Aerospace Museum Association, Heritage Calgary, Arts Commons, and Calgary Economic Development, among others.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 9:30 am, the Emergency Management Committee will meet. No agenda is available for this meeting yet. Also on Thursday, the Calgary Planning Commission will meet at 1:00 pm. On the agenda are several land use amendments and development permit applications.
  
  
• The Spring 2023 Calgary and Region Economic Outlook 2023-2028 report is available for viewing. This report is published twice a year - in spring and fall - and forecasts key indicators for the local economy. Some of the findings in this iteration of the report include positive local and regional economic growth in 2023, and pressure on local businesses due to Alberta wage inflation.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced that the arena deal is back on. This time, the scope is larger and the cost is higher. The new arena will be built at 14th Avenue and 5th Street SE, alongside a smaller community rink, a parking structure, an enclosed plaza, and several other public amenities. The City will contribute $537.5 million - 44% of the total price tag. The Province will allocate $330 million for supportive infrastructure around the arena, like sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, LRT station upgrades, half of the community rink, and the demolition of the Saddledome. Meanwhile, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation will contribute $40 million upfront, as well as $17 million a year for 35 years. There are a lot of details and much information yet to be released regarding all of the particulars. What do you think about the deal? Have your say by taking our quick, six-question survey.
  
  
• An announcement was made regarding Deerfoot Trail upgrades. The Province has chosen Aecon Infrastructure Management to handle twinning the Ivor Strong Bridge and the bridge over Glenmore Trail, and capacity increases on the ramps near Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail and Southland Drive. It is estimated that the upgrades will reduce Calgarians’ morning commute by 15% and evening commute by 22%. The work will take about four years and will get underway this year.
  
  
• The Province said that a pilot program using Alberta Sheriffs to improve downtown safety is working. Two teams of Calgary police officers and Alberta Sheriffs have been on the streets since February, resulting in 109 charges being laid and 1,524 outstanding arrest warrants being executed. More detailed information regarding the pilot will be released next month.

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