The Kansas City Chiefs released renderings for their new stadium Wednesday and a few Calgarians noticed that it looked very familiar. The Chiefs posted images of its proposed $3-billion NFL stadium on X and they look quite similar to the Saddledome. “Today we are excited to show Chiefs Kingdom a first look at our new home,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. “From the beginning, our goal has been to build something that improved the gameday experience for every single fan. This new stadium will do just that. “It’s spectacular. It honors the rich legacy of this franchise while setting a bold course for the future of Chiefs Kingdom. “While we’re still finalizing many of the details, there are a few things we know for sure: it will hold 70,000 fans, it will still be the best place in the world to tailgate, and the whole building will be built for noise.” The proposed 70,000 seat stadium, designed by Kansas City-based MANICA, has a translucent roof shaped in what Calgarians might see as a saddle. The Scotiabank Saddledome’s social media team definitely saw a connection, posting that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The new Kansas City ballpark is scheduled to open in 2031. The Scotiabank Saddledome, designed by Calgary architect the late Barry Graham -- who also designed the city’s distinctive Olympic Oval and the TELUS Convention Centre among many other iconic structures -- was built in the early 1980s for just under $100 million. It opened in October 1983 -- the Flames took on their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers -- and was even featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1987, in a Winter Olympic preview. The Saddledome is scheduled to be torn down after the new Event Centre opens in Calgary in the fall of 2027.
