Scotia Place construction hits midway mark, stays on track for 2027-28
The Flames' new $926M arena is roughly 40% complete, with crews aiming to make the building watertight by late summer.
Calgary's new Flames arena is halfway there. Scotia Place, the $926 million replacement for the Saddledome, has passed the halfway point in construction and continues moving at pace.
Shovels hit the dirt in July 2024. For months, the site was nothing but a hole. Now, anyone driving past can see the building's exterior taking shape — and the work inside is advancing fast.
About 40 per cent of the budget has been spent so far. Bob Hunter, a member of the project committee with the City of Calgary, said the team is pushing to get the building watertight by August or September. "We're already on the event level where the team spaces are. We're doing drywall, and we're starting to do some finishing. Plumbing is going in," Hunter said.
The scale of the project is visible daily. Roughly 800 construction workers are on site every day through the summer, a number expected to jump to around 1,300 later in the year. There are no signs of delays.
When complete, Scotia Place will hold 18,400 people. It'll also include a community arena, a 450-stall parkade, and public plazas. The building is slated to open ahead of the 2027-28 NHL season — meaning this coming season will be the Flames' last at the Saddledome.
The timing is already paying off. Calgary and Edmonton have been named co-hosts of the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, alongside Prague. Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the new arena helps position the city for major sporting events and tourism opportunities.
For a city that's watched the Dome define its skyline for decades, the shift is coming fast.