The Calgary Flames’ owner has unveiled the design for the National Hockey League team’s new arena, and broken ground on the $800-million project.

The future arena is officially known as Scotia Place and will feature a textured flame motif emulating a fire, lighting up at night. Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the club’s owner, is partnering on the project with the city and provincial government.

The project is part of a $1.2-billion event centre and entertainment district in the Victoria Park area. The is located near the Flames’ current Saddledome home and the city’s downtown. The overarching event centre development is slated to include bars, restaurants and retail shops, 

Sonya Sharp, a city councillor who chairs a committee overseeing the project, said during a news conference that the new arena will play an important role in revitalizing the downtown, which is known for being extremely quiet after dusk. The city will recover its costs from tenants over 30 years, she added.

The city has invested $537 million in the project.

“This is a place where dreams will be realized, where champions will be made and our community will come together to celebrate, to be entertained and to enjoy,” she said.

The design is intended to incorporate Indigenous cultural perspectives and symbolize the elements of nature: fire, ice, land and air.

The new arena will serve as the home of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers and the National Lacrosse League’s Calgary Roughnecks, which are also owned by CSEC. The company is slated to invest $40 million while the Alberta government is providing $30 million.

Built in 1983, the Saddledome, identifiable by its concave roof, is slated to be demolished after the new arena is complete in 2027.