Despite no concrete funding commitments yet from the provincial or federal governments, the City of Calgary is working to advance its long-sought plan to build a multisport fieldhouse next to McMahon Stadium. New renderings revealed by the city suggest the project now proposes three separate indoor facilities.
Project Update and Design Progress
On Friday, city hall’s multisport fieldhouse committee, which includes members of council, administration and external groups such as Tourism Calgary and Sport Calgary, received its first update on the project in two years. They learned the fieldhouse is inching toward the detailed design phase, following the previous council’s support of an amenity refinement study in 2023.
Administration’s work since then has focused on technical infrastructure assessments, site servicing, constructability and economic and financial analysis, the committee heard. The city is also coordinating with partners and stakeholders and evaluating site planning and implementation options.
“Collectively, this work has helped clarify the core facility requirements, the realities of the site and the factors that will guide implementation,” Ryan Meier, the city’s manager of facility planning, told the committee, which formed in early 2023 to advance the fieldhouse project. “In summary, this work is transitioning from concept to a more defined, deliverable state.”
Three Facilities Proposed
The proposed fieldhouse would overhaul Foothills Athletic Park, which lies between McMahon Stadium and the University of Calgary. New renderings revealed Friday indicate the city now plans to build three separate indoor facilities that would wrap around the existing Foothills Athletic Park track and field venue.
The building immediately east of the outdoor track, near Crowchild Trail, would include a 200-metre indoor athletic track with seating for spectators. It would replace the former Burns Stadium, which was demolished in early 2025. Burns Stadium was the long-time home of the Calgary Cannons, a professional minor-league baseball team.
The building to the west of the Foothills track, close to University Drive N.W., would house an indoor, FIFA-regulation artificial turf soccer pitch, replacing a current outdoor grass soccer pitch. At the north end of the track, a community recreation centre would replace the existing outdoor tennis and pickleball courts that lie just south of 24th Avenue N.W.
“These features enable both everyday community use, but together, they have the ability to host major sporting events and support economic development,” Meier said. The components would be built in phases depending on constructability, funding availability and prioritization, he added.
Funding and Advocacy
The city has already earmarked $109 million toward the project, according to Meier, but he stressed financial support from the provincial and federal governments is needed to pay for the fieldhouse’s construction. The project was included on the city’s list of advocacy priorities for the upcoming federal budget. The city is asking Ottawa to contribute $80 million.
There is high demand for a multisport fieldhouse, Meier argued, noting Calgary is currently the only major city in Canada without such a facility. “Overall, the multisport fieldhouse represents a significant opportunity for our city,” Meier said.
