Part of the roof of Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome is falling apart. Literally.
Documents obtained for CBC News through Alberta’s Freedom of Information Legislation show that pieces of concrete broke loose from the roof’s ring beam, while other crumbling pieces were removed to prevent them from falling.
Engineering firm Entuitive recommended inspections each spring and fall to monitor any deterioration in concrete condition caused by annual freeze-thaw cycles.
In April 2021, the company sent a letter to Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), which operates the public building, advising that portions of the loose concrete were removed.
But it also said that “the condition of the concrete around the ring beam is deteriorating at an accelerated rate.”
Earlier this year, a net was installed around the ring beam to catch any pieces of concrete that “appeared to be about to fall.”
No structural problem
Images in a 2018 report show what happens when concrete breaks loose and falls off the roof beam.
Chunks of concrete fell onto a roof structure located above the western steps of the Saddledome. The heavy material bored a jagged hole in the structure.
The engineering reports state that the problems with the concrete on the ring beam are superficial and do not pose structural concerns for the roof itself.
The City of Calgary declined requests for an interview on the subject.
However, a senior official familiar with the reports and the Saddledome told CBC News there were no concerns about the stability of the roof or public safety.
The official said a full remediation plan to stabilize the concrete is expected in the coming months and a plan to fix the problem is being implemented.
As the work plan has not yet been presented, he said it is not known how long the work could take and how much it may cost.
The Council needs information
City Council Event Center Committee Chairman Coun. Sonya Sharp said she did not see the technical reports.
She said the council had received high-level information about the condition of the building, but nothing specific.
“I’m not an engineer and I will definitely admit that, but having a precise understanding from administration of how safe and secure the building is for the general public is very important for the council to understand,” Sharp said.
She plans to ask senior administration officials to release reports on the state of the Saddledome to council members and the public.
Her committee is tasked with finding a way to build a new events center for Calgary that would replace the Saddledome, which opened in 1983.
The city’s director general for infrastructure services, Michael Thompson, said the city is monitoring the situation and conducting semi-annual inspections.
“The building is currently safe and structurally sound, so we continue to evaluate and review if further requirements are needed,” he said.
“Buildings of this age need maintenance, just like any other building or facility we have.”
The NHL’s Calgary Flames have a lease with the city to operate the building through 2033.
The team’s ownership group, CSEC, is responsible for the maintenance of the building, although major repairs to the Saddledome rest with the City of Calgary.
City seeks new deal
A deal between the city and the Flames’ owners for a new building costing more than $600 million fell through last December when CSEC backed out of the agreement, citing rising costs.
On Wednesday, the city said it was making progress in talks with the Calgary Flames owners for a deal.
Sharp said there was a confidential briefing for the committee. Though no details are released, she says talks are moving forward.
“The city is talking to CSEC through the third party and we should all remain very optimistic that this will continue.”
In May of this year, the city hired three commercial real estate officials to contact CSEC to discuss the possibility of resuming talks on a new arena.
No recommendations have yet been made as to a possible way forward, but the City Council has threw its support behind the idea of building a new downtown arena that would replace the Saddledome.
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