More excited to finally get new residental in ID 2.0 going versus a new event centre honestly, more people living in those empty parcels north of 105th are the more needed.
^ First create the demand for residential. People will be more amenable to locating there if there are active reasons for doing so. Plus the funding for this is coming/has come together; why risk that falling apart? Not only that but the go-ahead portions likely already include two towers totaling 68+ storeys of residential; an overbuild would not serve anyone, downtown or otherwise.
This is good for everyone involved. Needed for the neighbourhood, essentially for vibrancy, it also helps with ending the embarrassment of poor urban environments in Alberta's two major cities.
No reason for them to be at each other's throats at this moment.