'One leads and the other follows': BMO Centre is a priority for Calgary

The expansion of Calgary's BMO Centre is expected to open in June 2024 after the last bit of work on the building's steel structure was completed last week.

As Mayor Jyoti Gondek and stakeholders in Calgary's East Village development plan are set to meet on Monday, some organizations are suggesting it might be best to put arena talks on the back burner for now.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) says that while it's nice to hear that talks about a new home for the Calgary Flames have been rekindled, it is focused on a project – the expansion of the BMO Centre – that is well on its way to completion.

"We are motivated to complete the convention centre and get people down and in through Stampede Park in a way that they never have been before," said CMLC CEO Kate Thompson on Monday.

"We do call it the 'culture and entertainment district' for a reason and it's based on what we have that exists on the site right now. We have the Saddledome, we have the BMO Centre."

Thompson says the fact that the City of Calgary was looking at developing a new arena at the same time as it was an event centre was "a real anomaly."

"If you look at other North American communities, most of the time you usually have one either convention centre or an arena start an entertainment district – one leads and the other follows," she said.

Nevertheless, Thompson says she is very supportive of the new interest in a new arena and glad that partners have returned to the discussion table.

"Whenever that gets resolved, then the entertainment district will be there to welcome them."

Excitement over a new arena for Calgary began again when Premier Danielle Smith posted a letter outlining her commitment to the city to have a replacement for the Saddledome built sooner rather than later.

While no dollar amounts were attached to the statement, she assigned UCP MLA Ric McIver to be a liaison with the City of Calgary and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation.

Meanwhile, the BMO Centre's expansion is on schedule and set to open in June 2024.