http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=qc-stad20050503

New stadium would be built near old haunts
Last updated May 3 2005 03:40 PM EDT
CBC News


MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact soccer team is planning to build a new downtown stadium. It would be built on the Technoparc site and would accommodate 10,000 soccer fans.

The official announcement will be made Wednesday.

The stadium would go up near where the Autostade was before it was demolished in the late 70's.

The Autostade was an amphitheatre which boasted more than 33,000 places and served Montrealers between 1967 and 1976.

There are some concerns the location might be a bit too cold because of its proximity to the St. Lawrence River — a common complaint about the Autostade.

Team warm to the idea

The Montreal Impact has become incredibly popular.

More than 13,000 fans squeezed into Claude Robillard stadium last fall to see the Impact win the league championship.

Midfielder Patrick Leduc says having a decent stadium for the enthusiastic hometown crowd would be a huge boost.

"Teams come into Montreal and they're a little bit afraid, a little bit intimidated [by the strength of the Montreal Impact team]. We want the crowd to enjoy the show," Leduc said Tuesday when the news broke.

Location, location, location

The proposed site for the new stadium is controversial.

Fans at the old Autostade complained about cool breezes coming off the river. And some sites in the surrounding neighbourhood are contaminated with industrial waste.

Impact Coach Nick De Santis says although he doesn't know the details of the new stadium plan, he looks forward to playing there.

"To have your own stadium which you can do so many things with, it's exciting for soccer in Quebec," De Santis says.

The new stadium would be ready for the 2007 season, just in time to host the FIFA world under-20 soccer tournament. Montreal is one of six Canadian cities chosen to host the world championships.

The Montreal Impact plays in the United Soccer Leagues First Division.

Finaly, something's going to be done for Soccer in Montreal.

Montreal is a soccer city, not baseball. Montreal deserves that stadium.

Montreal is a soccer city, not baseball. Montreal deserves that stadium.

Ummmm, I disagree. Montreal is a baseball city as well. We had the Expos here for 36 seasons. That proves that this city is capable of supporting baseball.

Personally, 10 000 seats is too small. I would have preferred 15 000.

I think this is a good idea, the impact were drawing some decent crowds last year. Maybe we could get some scrapers built beside the new stadium to block that cold breeze from the fleuve, wich I dont see being that much of a problem anyways. I live right beside le st-laurent, and have never experienced any problems with cold breezes.

Ummmm, I disagree. Montreal is a baseball city as well. We had the Expos here for 36 seasons. That proves that this city is capable of supporting baseball.

Personally, 10 000 seats is too small. I would have preferred 15 000.

Agree with you on both points. Although baseball is not the most exciting game, I think there are still many baseball fans, more specifically expos fans in this city.

And I'm a bit suprised that the new stadium will be smaller the the old one. As you said, 15000 would have been better.

Cool news for Montreal.

it will be anywhere between 15k to 25k

tomorow we'll have the official number :)

and baseball is a dying sport, yes there's some many supporters left in this town.

That sport in general is dying, there's maybe 10 cities that are baseball-cities, the rest have problems surviving in their markets.

and many baseball fields have been converted to soccer fields in this city.

Ummmm, I disagree. Montreal is a baseball city as well. We had the Expos here for 36 seasons. That proves that this city is capable of supporting baseball.

Personally, 10 000 seats is too small. I would have preferred 15 000.


If Montreal is a baseball city too, Expos wouldn't have left.
(It wasn't only a money issue, the average crowds were less than 6000 spectators).

Remember that the soccer league in North America is surely not nº1 soccer league (probably not even 10th) and still people go to see Impact.
Baseball National League is Nº1 and crowds were little.

Lots of kids play soccer in Montreal (there are more register than hockey).

It would be cool to see Soccer be Montreal's # 1 sport

did the exact seating # been realized yet ?

Great news, its more atmostpheric to have a stadium a little on the small side and be able to grow, than to build a giant stadium that always feels half empty or more.

13500 capacity expandable to 17000.

Montreal's #1 sport is hockey. The Expos left because of the aging stadium and bad teams, not because they didn't like the sport. Maybe Montreal (and Toronto) can join the MLS.

Here is the huge problem about the stadium: absolutely no Metro access but they only saw fit to include 2200 parking spots. What were they thinking!?!?! They can't used the other parking areas around and under the Bonaventure Expressway because those are mostly full-up with the Casino customers.

I agree, there needs to be a metro access over there.

there will be a shuttle between the metro and the stadium. Like the Alouettes.

The Alouettes don't have a metro access either and there's no parking around.

Sorry, I'm not exactly sure where it is going. Could you give me a landmark or major crossroad..it would help.
Please, I hope its not in such a god-forsaken area as the BigO. Thank god Toronto learned from Montreal's mistake on that one when they built the SkyDome.
The BigO {or OWE} has been a noose around that city's neck.
As the old adage goes........location location location.

copy this into your browser.

http://edmm.ca/newstadium.jpg

ANOTHER stadium thats not on the subway line!!!

what do you mean another?

Was it that hard to find a land in Montreal were there was metro???

A stadium has to be close to a metro (for concerts, games, etc.) People don't want to waste time looking for parking or taking buses.

ANOTHER stadium thats not on the subway line!!!

Yeah what do you mean, another???

Was it that hard to find a land in Montreal were there was metro???

A stadium has to be close to a metro (for concerts, games, etc.) People don't want to waste time looking for parking or taking buses.


you do know that lands near a metro is like gold? there's none available anywhere. Even in Laval near the new metro stations, its getting built around really really fast.

There will be no problem for parking, there will be enough of it around the new stadium. Shuttle buses will be deserving the stadium from the metro station.

Here is a good space: On Saint Jacques right in front of where the Terrasses Windsor are being build there is a HUGE plot of land just sitting there with a parking lot and an open field. It has access to the same metro as the Bell Centre and is within walking distance of the huge parking lots that are used with the Bell Centre.

In addition, they people won't have to contend with the freezing wind from the river. Anyone remember what happened to the last stadium that was built there? The Autodrome?

Here is a good space: On Saint Jacques right in front of where the Terrasses Windsor are being build there is a HUGE plot of land just sitting there with a parking lot and an open field. It has access to the same metro as the Bell Centre and is within walking distance of the huge parking lots that are used with the Bell Centre.

In addition, they people won't have to contend with the freezing wind from the river. Anyone remember what happened to the last stadium that was built there? The Autodrome?

Autostade!

Yeah the wind didn't make it appealing for fans. Mind you...the Impact will be playing in the heat of summer, whereas the Als played during the cold of October and November. The wind from the St. Lawrence might acutally be welcomed during those 30+ degrees days.

Here is a good space: On Saint Jacques right in front of where the Terrasses Windsor are being build there is a HUGE plot of land just sitting there with a parking lot and an open field. It has access to the same metro as the Bell Centre and is within walking distance of the huge parking lots that are used with the Bell Centre.


I honestly can't figure out which lands you are talking about.

I will try to post a map here.

copy the url below into a new window!

http://edmm.ca/notredame.JPG

The only possiblities are the green areas, one would implicate buying the buildings. Both are too small.

The highway exit is in the way too.

Don't forget the city gave the lands for free. The lands in green are most probably not city owned.

P.S. sorry for the lame quality, I don't have photoshop at work... paint sucks ass.

you do know that lands near a metro is like gold? there's none available anywhere. Even in Laval near the new metro stations, its getting built around really really fast.

.


Maybe you are right...

They should just demolish the BigO and buid it there. (Anyways, there's free land right near the BigO...)

Finaly, something's going to be done for Soccer in Montreal.

Montreal is a soccer city, not baseball. Montreal deserves that stadium.
Pourquoi ne pas utiliser tout simplement le stade olympique puisqu'il parrait qu'il ne sert plus à rien ?

Because the Olympic Stadium has proven to be a huge white elephant over the past years. People who go to the soccer games love the atmosphere...the Olympic Stadium has no atmosphere at all.

Now ive heard this before, why is the Olympic Stadium in a bad location? It is outside of downtown, but not all that far, and is serviced by 2 Metro stations. It is located on the Island and not in the mainland suburbs. Now im not a resident of Montreal, but have been to the Olympic Stadium a few times as a visitor and it didnt seem to be in all that bad of a location. So if someone could tell why its bad, that would be great.

The general mood in the stadium is not condusive to sporting evens anymore. Montreal doesn't have the capacity to fill it up to any extent aside from special events like the Grey Cup. Without the stadium filled, it swallows crowd noise, has bad ventilation, is not open-air anymore and has antiquated facilities insided.

Because the Olympic Stadium has proven to be a huge white elephant over the past years. People who go to the soccer games love the atmosphere...the Olympic Stadium has no atmosphere at all.
Maybe it's like a "white elephant" but if nobody tries to do something with it, it's a bit normal. Soccer is a very popular sport almost everywhere except in north america...for the moment. A real NA league could have the greatest players in the world and become very popular too.

And "Olympique de Montréal" is not so bad: the initials are OM...like one of the most famous and popular club of the world

Where is the stadium finaly going to be built??

Who's going to be the architect?

It'll be built alkong the Bonaventure Expressway(next to the St-Lawrence river) Where the old Autostade was.