‘We’ve got a lot of soil to remove, so we take away the contaminated soil up top and then we start,’ said Bob Hunter, the city’s project leader for Scotia Place
While it’s still early days, plenty of dirt has already been turned at the Scotia Place work site, as crews prepare for “the big dig” later this fall.
The $1.2-billion event centre project’s social media page released a time-lapse video on Monday, showcasing the progress since a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction was held July 22.
Bob Hunter, the city’s project leader for Scotia Place, said the work so far has been about clearing and removing the top layer of contaminated soil from the site.
Removing the first two metres of dirt — which Hunter said crews knew beforehand was contaminated — revealed some debris from old houses that previously stood in Victoria Park, before they were demolished to make room for a Saddledome parking lot.
“We knew we were going to hit contaminated soil, we knew there was asbestos on the site,” he said. “They tore down 70 homes that were there at one point and they took away a lot of the construction debris, but also buried a fair bit of it, so we’ve been removing foundations and construction debris.”
Crews, which include 50 to 60 workers, expect this stage of excavation to wrap up by the end of October, according to Hunter. He said workers will then begin the “big dig,” going down 40 feet in preparation to pour concrete for the arena’s foundation.
“We’ve got a lot of soil to remove, so we take away the contaminated soil up top and then we start,” he said. “And once we get into that is when . . . the shoring will be complete and we’ll have to start structural piles again.”
Construction will continue through the winter, with crews working 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Hunter added that schedule will continue unless the project falls behind schedule.
He said those living in the area who are home during the day might hear more truck traffic, but excavation work should not be that noisy outside the site.
“We are drilling structural piles and that can be (noisy), but we don’t start until 7 a.m. and we’re definitely gone by 4 p.m.,” Hunter said.
By the middle of next summer, below-ground work should be completed and Calgarians will see some of Scotia Place’s above-grade structures start to take shape.
Third and final development permit coming to planning commission
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who chairs the event centre committee, said Scotia Place’s third and final development permit is being reviewed, and will come before the Calgary Planning Commission for final approval in November. She added building permits will be the next step in the development process, with that paperwork set to be issued in early 2025.
After all the permits are approved, she said her committee will meet one more time in early 2025 before being dissolved.
“There’s a lot of activity happening, which is really nice to see,” she said. “I know a lot of people have been stopping, taking photos and posting them on social because they’re all so excited. People are finally getting the excitement they’ve been waiting for, even if it’s just a little bit of dirt removal, for Scotia Place.”
City paying 56 per cent of upfront costs
It will feature an NHL-regulation arena that seats 18,400 fans, complemented by an attached multi-storey parkade, a new 1,000-seat community rink, indoor and outdoor community plazas, an elevated bar and a future redevelopment site.
The city is paying $515 million, or 56 per cent, of the upfront costs, pulling funds from its major capital projects reserve, fiscal stability reserve and budget savings account merged reserve.
Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. (CSEC) will pay $40 million upfront, followed by annual lease payments to the city of $17 million with one per cent compounded interest over 35 years.
Scotia Place will be two blocks north of the Saddledome, which will be demolished after the new facility opens.
Construction association president lauds project
While the Saddledome has become an iconic symbol of Calgary’s skyline, Hunter said he feels Scotia Place — which will house the Flames, Roughnecks, Hitmen and Wranglers — will provide a better overall experience for fans. In particular, he touted the bigger and more modern concourse that will feature more food and guest services.
“Certainly, the Saddledome has absolutely served its purpose and has been a great venue for the team, but I think from a fan experience standpoint and from a Calgarian experience, (Scotia Place) is just going to be a much nicer building,” he said.
“I think Calgarians will be very proud of what the finished product is going to look like.”
Bill Black, the Calgary Construction Association’s president, said building Scotia Place will provide his sector an economic boost, noting that upwards of 2,000 workers from a variety of different companies and contractors will be involved throughout the multi-year project.
“These are long-duration projects that last three to five years and create a solid baseline of work and stability of resource use, labour, etc. that allows companies to gear up with the resources and know these (employees) will be gainfully employed on these projects for a long period of time,” he said.