Calgary councillors get first look at proposed transformation of McMahon Stadium and Foothills Athletic Park

From a fieldhouseto hotels to tailgating avenues to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, a Calgary council committee got its first look at proposed redevelopment plans for the Foothills Athletic Park and McMahon Stadium area on Monday.

The plan would completely overhaul the area, dismantling the existing baseball stadium and replacing it with a long-sought indoor fieldhouse, while McMahon stadium would be completely renovated and surrounded by retail, restaurants, hotels and residential buildings.

The presentation to the Foothills Athletic Park redevelopment advisory committee calls for a phased approachto the redevelopment, with the first phase including construction of a new fieldhouse on the site of the current Foothills Stadium.

By the final phases of the long-term plan, the area would be transformed into a dense mixed use area capitalizing on connections with the nearby LRT and university and changing the look and speed of Crowchild Trail.

City council identified a fieldhouse as one of its infrastructure priorities for Calgary, alongside a redeveloped Arts Commons, a new NHL arena and the BMO Centre expansion.

It released $19 million in 2019 for planning the new structure, which is estimated to cost $255 million.

The land in question is split almost evenly between the city on the northern half and the University of Calgary on the southern portion, where McMahon is located.

The university has said in the past that it has no money to contribute to the fieldhouse development.

There are no estimateson the timeline for the project, or the final costs.

The proposal will go to more public consultations before coming back to city council in the fall.