Calgary city council approves arena deal with Flames

Calgary's city council voted Tuesday to proceed with the Flames' new arena project.

City lawmakers, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (the entity that operates the team), and Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Limited agreed to fundamental terms and conditions for the development and construction of a new facility last week.

Talks between the club and the city on a new arena broke down in the lead-up to Calgary's 2017 municipal election, but Tuesday's 11-4 vote marked the final step in the approval process.

The proposed event center carries an estimated construction cost of $550 million, which will be split 50-50 between the city and the team. It will replace the Scotiabank Saddledome, one of the NHL's oldest arenas, which has served as the Flames' home rink since 1983.

Construction is expected to begin in 2021 and take about three years to complete. The project partners will now work to finalize legal agreements and engage the public on key design components.