The United Conservative government of Alberta has approved the initial round of funding for the Calgary Flames’ arena project.
According to the CBC, the funding was included in the latest quarterly budget update, which approved $39 million for the River District, the Calgary neighborhood that includes land adjacent to the team’s current home at the Calgary Saddledome, where the new arena will be built.
The arena project was initially announced in April, with the province committing $330 to help revive a stalled replacement for the aging Saddledome.
The initial round of funding will go to site acquisition and preparation, as well as upgrades to basic infrastructure such as roads to support the new arena.
As of yet, no timeline for construction, or completion of the new arena has been announced.
The Saddledome, which first opened its doors in 1981, underwent its last major renovation in 1995. The venue suffered serious flooding in 2013, that inundated the arena up to its eight tier of seating, but the facility managed to open again after just two months of remediation.
The arena is currently the third oldest in use by the NHL, behind New York’s Madison Square Garden and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, both of which have undergone major refurbs in recent years.
