[CalgaryTiger]

new hotel development

Three hotels... wow. Stampede Trail and 12 Ave, Macleod and 12 Ave, and this location I'll call Macleod and 17th Ave. Seems excessive to me.

 

[DougB]

Three hotels... wow. Stampede Trail and 12 Ave, Macleod and 12 Ave, and this location I'll call Macleod and 17th Ave. Seems excessive to me.

The Stampede should partner with one of the big companies to build a massive Vegas style, Stampede themed casino and resort

 

[Tothewest]

I think one thing that is being over looked is that there is potential to fill up the blocks between the Macleods with a decent amount of people.

View attachment 523207

I hold out hope that the Stampede has a plan for Weadickville that includes a really kitschy western village. I can't imagine the Big Four has a long life with the new expansion? There's opportunity for a Lammle's, a Stampede Store, and maybe even a permanent "Stampede Breakfast" breakfast/brunch place in the new Weadickville with perhaps a couple other places. Doesn't have to be a huge development, I imagine it could look something like this (six CRUs with a greenspace):

View attachment 523208

Saying all this I do think you'd like to see more residents in the area before doing this but there is still some opportunity to capture people coming off the train at Victoria Park Stampede/Stampede station going to Flames games and other Saddledome events.

That's Magnolia in Waco, Tx. Great example of a phased reclamation...unfort it's still in a "shitty" part of town...but nonetheless successful! https://www.nbcdfw.com/texas-today/explore-magnolia-market-at-the-silos/2682090/

MacLeod Trail is always going to hurt that area from a street activation perspective, lots of lanes in both directions. I think they're wise to not put many eggs in that basket along with the big four/weadickville area (not to mention its under stampede control)....make the rivers district the next emphasis. Not a planner, but i think emphasizing primary pods or zones of retail/commercial activation is a better plan than just trying to do it everywhere

 

[Tothewest]

Yes, fried dough stands one week a year. A shining beacon of culture!

my god, imagine hating stampede that much

 

[DiscoStu]

 

[DougB]

Isn't CNE larger?

It lasts a week longer. I've never understood why the Stampede doesn't extend for another week or two. The daily capacity has been maxed out for decades so the only way to increase the draw would be more days.

 

[Tothewest]

It lasts a week longer. I've never understood why the Stampede doesn't extend for another week or two. The daily capacity has been maxed out for decades so the only way to increase the draw would be more days.

I think what makes stampede special overall, and different that a standard fair (Kdays, PNE, CNE)is the buy-in citywide for 10 days. It transcends the grounds themselves. I think you'd lose that big time if it was any longer. Some would argue 10 days is too long, for health reasons lol.

 

[Duck Lightning]

I think upping the event to 14 days would be the ideal amount to increase without any issue

 

[Tothewest]

Believe one of the issues, which maybe has changed, is the inability to have the midway any earlier or later. Some other fair wraps Sunday...mon/tue/wed/thur transport & setup in CGY...then teardown & transport Mon/Tue to get to K days. While we know stampede as a whole is big (concerts, tents, parties, ect...), the midway is pretty standard and no more important than any other

 

[DougB]

Believe one of the issues, which maybe has changed, is the inability to have the midway any earlier or later. Some other fair wraps Sunday...mon/tue/wed/thur transport & setup in CGY...then teardown & transport Mon/Tue to get to K days. While we know stampede as a whole is big (concerts, tents, parties, ect...), the midway is pretty standard and no more important than any other

I'm sure Conklin, the midway provider, would choose to stay at the Stampede longer and ignore adjacent fairs like Klondike Days. Stampede could easily sustain three weeks. For example, it could probably draw big name acts to new Event Center for the entire period. The Province could allow 24/7 liquor licensing for those 23 days.

 

[Duck Lightning]

I think the real reason the Stampede hasn't seen a major expansion in length is the need to expand the rodeo and chuckwagon events alongside. I really don't think it has anything to do with the midway when the Stampede brings in far more revenue per day than smaller events like Klondike Days.

 

[badc0ffee]

I don't think Conklin runs the midway anymore.

 

[Duck Lightning]

I don't think Conklin runs the midway anymore.

They merged with a bunch of other midway companies in 2004 to form North American Midway Entertainment which is the current midway provider so they kind of still do.

 

[Tothewest]

That really is a great shot, looking forward to seeing the architecture lighting + windows in the evening.

Side note, for the more construction savy, when the dome is demolished...what is the earliest you could construct anything on a freshly filled in hole? I understand a good chunk of it will always be parking, but for the areas fronting 4th and 14th/15th, how big of an issue is the ground disturbance?

 

[MissingMiddle]

How big of an issue is the ground disturbance?

Negligible. A geotechnical engineer could provide more nuance, but I don't see any reason not to. I wouldn't get your hopes up though, It'll probably just be turned into a parking lot to expand the footprint of the stampede grounds.