Following the collapse of the Event Centre Project, City Coun. Sonya Sharp criticized Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s handling of the deal..Sharp was elected Ward 1 councillor in October’s civic election after working for the City of Calgary for more than 20 years. Most recently, Sharp served as the city’s leader for Business and Local Economy helping to create opportunities for small businesses..“I am very disappointed in this outcome on the Event Centre,” said Sharp in a statement to the Western Standard..“This project was slated to be the centrepiece of the revitalization in Victoria Park, and its failure will have an impact on a number of other projects in the area and across the city. I don’t think we can fully anticipate the scope the failure of this deal will have just yet.”.Council voted in favour of the 19,000-seat arena in Victoria Park in July 2019 and the cost-share deal between the city and CSEC was reached by December of that same year..By July 2021, due to cost increases, the city advised CSEC it wouldn’t be able to fund the agreed-upon 50%, so the owners’ group took on a higher proportion of the costs..After the city announced additional infrastructure requirements and climate initiatives adding another $19 million to the project, the CSEC released a statement on December 21 indicating it was no longer prepared to move forward with the deal..“Accordingly, as the City and CSEC have been unable to resolve these issues, CSEC has determined that there is no viable path to complete the Event Centre Project,” read the statement that added: “We are deeply disappointed with the outcome.”.In a follow-up release from the CSEC on January 4, it was communicated that both parties had until December 31 to waive construction conditions and neither did “which resulted in the termination of the Project Framework Agreement and all associated agreements.”.“Council should have had an opportunity to meet and ask questions before this project died on December 31,” said Sharp..“I asked the mayor for a special meeting of council on December 22, and again on December 29. Both requests were denied. A deal of this scope and significance warranted a special meeting of council..“I asked the mayor to work with City Manager David Duckworth to ask the Flames to delay the termination of the agreement until Jan. 31, 2022. I received no response..According to Sharp, Mayor Gondek “indicated that council would like to pursue an event centre for Calgary.”.“Before we can begin to consider this, we need to understand how the current agreement fell apart and what the impacts will be for the rest of the East Victoria redevelopment..“Costs will only go up the longer we wait, and there are no other partners I am aware of waiting to step in. Decisions like this affect the whole city..“Any deal should only be made or allowed to die after all of city council has met and discussed it.”.Gondek told reporters at a Wednesday news conference COVID-19 was behind the failed deal..“The extension of the current deal we have would have meant operating within its limitations and COVID has wreaked havoc on supply chains, and it has impacted this project and many others,” said Gondek..Although Sharp confirmed she repeatedly requested a special meeting of council with the mayor and was denied, Gondek indicated at the news conference the choice to terminate was made on behalf of the whole city council..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
