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CANADA - Stadium and Arena Development News

1M views 4K replies 460 participants last post by  Sandro14 
#1 ·
Canadian Arenas- The worlds best!

Canadian Arenas- The worlds best!
 
#2,330 · (Edited)
Duh, I've just clued in to my own post. On the previous page the two graphics of Mosaic stadium show the year 2012, 33,000 seat bowl configuration and the year 2013, ugly 50,000 seat temporary Grey Cup configuration. For some reason I thought the designs were one and the same (shown from different viewing angles)

The bowl design should look quite good and it will revert back to that after the Grey Cup.

For those who may be sceptical there's really no reason to think the new stadium will not go ahead. Mosaic will be getting a 14 million dollar "temporary" upgrade so it will not be a total embarrassment when it hosts the Grey Cup. This will also create new revenue streams and a better fan experience for the minimum four year period before the new stadium is completed.

The movers and shakers are still insisting upon a new stadium. Why would they do that if they weren't truly meaning to get a new stadium? They could just as easily announce the upgrade as the new solution and be done with it.

We know from experience that the Winnipeg stadium took almost 8 years from conception to completion so a completion date of 2016 for the new stadium may be overly ambitious. This relatively inexpensive renovation will see them through the four years and likely longer.
 
#2,332 ·
MLB is the only one of the 4 that's still affordable, but it's lost its meaning to me as well. I don't go expecting my team to win and don't care too much if they do. We all know which teams will win the division before the season starts: owners buy championships. I go to sit out in the sun and eat a hot dog. Maybe I'll check out Inter-County League this year.
 
#2,333 ·
I imagine they'll likely connect the ACC to Skydome underground once Southcore builds out.
 
#2,334 ·
Bombers/Bisons stadium, Winnipeg


Courtesy of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Club
 
#2,335 ·
Realistically, if Toronto has aspirations to be a Summer Olympics host, then they need to consider how they could use any stadium post games as a legacy.

If Toronto were to build a 40,000 seat stadium in the Port Lands, then this could be used by the Argonauts as a home ground.

There is plenty of technology out there to make a stadium multi purpose.

1) The Stade de France has sliding stands which can be retracted to reveal a running track yet with stands in place is a perfect venue for Rugby Union

2) The new Singapore Sports Hub is employing similar technology

3) the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, South Africa has seating technology allowing additional seats to be easily added or removed allowing its normal 54,000 seats capacity to be increased to 80,000 for the Olympic games

A stadium of 40,000 (with retractable stands allowing a Track and Field capacity of 35,000) designed to add an extra 25,000-30,000 seats for a future Olympic games bid - the IOC require a minimum 60,000 seats at the main stadium, would seem to be ideal.
 
#2,337 ·
If any future Toronto Olympic Stadium is going to be dual purpose (or triple purpose if retractable seating is used for the odd athletics meet), then why not propose a Vancouver BC Place approach?

Have the Toronto NFL team at full capacity, with the CFL Argonauts side using only the first tier, with tarps covering the 2nd one?
 
#2,339 ·
Although it was great to see almost 59,000 in Montreal this weekend, does anyone have any update on the Saputo Stadium reno? The Montreal Impact's Facebook page has not been update in 2 months and this is supposed to be ready for June.....
They showed some footage during the pre-game on saturday. My first impression was that it doesn't look like much has been done
 
#2,343 ·
Toronto seems to have its hands full with the Pan-ams, which seems to be a continuing pattern in Toronto with hosting big events, I don't know why but they cant seem to organize them properly. I'm sure we will see a Toronto bid for the 2024 games though, as the Canadian Olympic Committee seems too be yearning for a summer games and Toronto is currently the only city interested/capable.

As for the NFL, Toronto has a hard enough time with the Argos.
 
#2,344 ·
Impact’s $23M expansion a relative bargain
Don Muret, Staff Writer SportsBusiness Journal Daily February 27, 2012

The Montreal Impact is expanding its four-year-old soccer stadium to meet Major League Soccer standards at a fraction of the cost of the league’s newest venues.

The Impact moves up to MLS this season after playing last year in the North American Soccer League. Before that, the team competed for several seasons in the United Soccer Leagues.

The $23 million expansion, now under construction, will push Saputo Stadium’s seating from 13,034 to 20,341 and boost the number of suites from 16 to 35. The facility is next to Olympic Stadium and opened in 2008 at a cost of $17 million.

The team will play its first five home games at Olympic Stadium before moving back to Saputo Stadium in mid-June after the expansion is completed, said Richard Legendre, executive vice president. The first game back is scheduled for June 16 against Seattle.

At a total cost of $40 million, Saputo Stadium’s price tag is far below what it cost MLS clubs to build new stadiums in other markets. Livestrong Sporting Park and Red Bull Arena, built in 2011 and 2010, respectively, cost $200 million and $150 million.

With the province of Quebec financing the project, the Impact went lean with the expansion and decided against adding a stage, loading docks and other infrastructure upgrades to accommodate concerts and other special events.

Team officials saw those design elements at some of the 10 to 12 MLS stadiums they visited over the past year, but felt those extra features did not make good business sense in a market where Bell Centre is the dominant concert venue, Legendre said.

“To have two to three concerts during the summer doesn’t justify the additional investment, and physically, at Olympic Park, there was not much space to expand,” he said. “This will be soccer only. We made that choice.”

Saputo Stadium sits on the site of the old track and field practice facility for the 1976 Olympics, and the Impact was able to use part of the existing bleacher structure during original construction. As a result, the north-side stands sit lower than the south side, Legendre said.

Of the 7,000 new seats, 3,500 make up the new west grandstand, with an additional 1,250 seats in the southeast and southwest corners. About 1,000 seats were added to the east grandstand.

The existing roof will extend over the upper rows of each grandstand and cover about 7,000 total seats, including the middle sections on the north and south sides, where top-end season-ticket holders pay $70 a game

The team has sold about 70 percent of the suites, Legendre said. They run $22,000 a year for eight seats and $32,000 annually for 12 seats. Terms are three and six years. Game tickets are included, but food and drink is a separate cost.

There is space behind both goals to build a few more suites if needed, Legendre said.

The Impact will continue to use Olympic Stadium for bigger international matches. The club previously drew 55,000 for a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal game in 2009 and about 48,000 against AC Milan in 2010.





 
#2,354 ·
Particularly so when one considers the temporary Empire Field in Vancouver having had a much larger capacity and cost a mere 15 million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Field#cite_note-4

Even if it were temporary, it's design is conventional to the point where anyone could adopt it, build it for the same price and just claim it being permanent. After all, it does have a concrete base and secured stands.
 
#2,346 ·
I would put it a step ahead of crew stadium, but its certainly nowhere near the finish level of KC, New York or the like. But to the average fan is it going to be that much different than the majority of the venues in MLS? I doubt it, good sightlines, looks comfortable enough and appears like it will have the requisite facilities even if it goes look a bit cheap.
 
#2,353 ·
The Calgary Flames purchased the Calgary Stampeders football team this week and this tidbit about a new joint facility was mentioned:

"We are smack in the middle of planning for a new building. I think we've been pretty public about that," King continued. "We haven't talked about what that might look like or exactly where it will be . . . Now, only now, we'll look in to determine if it makes any sense at all to try and combine a stadium and arena. We'll look closely at that. But that's not to be confused with a master plan that we're going to pull out tomorrow."

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Flames+complete+power+play/6384128/story.html#ixzz1qfaEZ6Ew
 
#2,356 ·
Hamilton seeks protection for any Pan Am delays
Kevin Werner, News Staff March, 26, 2012

Hamilton politicians and city officials are looking to the provincial government to cover up to $2 million in lost revenue to the city and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if the new Ivor Wynne Stadium isn’t ready by its July 1, 2014 completion date.

City officials have talked to Tiger-Cat representatives about the possibility that the club may have to miss a home game if the $154-million facility isn’t ready by the July 1 date.

Scott Mitchell, president of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, said the club could lose anywhere between $1.6 million to $2 million in revenue, while the city would forego about $200,000 from one home date.

“It would be a big impact on the city to lose (the money),” said Mitchell. “The city is concerned. But nobody is anything but positive that the stadium will be ready in time. (The request to the province) is a smart thing to do.”

Tony Tollis, Hamilton’s treasurer, asked during a Pan Am Precinct sub-committee meeting March 26, if Infrastructure Ontario could guarantee the city it would be reimbursed in any lost revenue or added expenses if the stadium isn’t ready on time.

But John McKendrick, senior vice president, AFP and Major Projects for Infrastructure Ontario, said he didn’t have the authority to make that guarantee to the municipality.

“It would require the commitment of the minister of Infrastructure Ontario,” said McKendrick.

Ward 3 councillor Bernie Morelli urged the subcommittee to approve a motion to ask the provincial government to indemnify the city for any costs in case the stadium isn’t ready.

“What we are trying to do is save us an expense that could occur if (the stadium) goes south,” he said.

The motion is expected to be debated at the March 28 council meeting.

McKendrick insisted that everything is being done to make sure the stadium and all the other venues for the 2015 Pan Am Games, will be ready by the deadline.

He reiterated the province and Toronto 2015 Pan Am organization committee’s statement that the games are being conducted “on time, and on budget.”

The province has already guaranteed it will cover any cost overruns of the games.

He said for instance, the companies that are awarded contracts for the venues, will need to borrow the money to begin the work. If the company doesn’t meet the deadlines that the province has established, the province won’t them for any work done, he said. And since the companies will still have to pay the interest on the loans they have taken out for the capital projects, the financial penalties could be very steep, he said. McKendrick estimated companies could be facing at least $25,000 per day in interest if they don’t meet the deadline.

“When you get $25,000, $50,000 per day in interest charges, you tend to get focused,” he said.

The timeline to build the stadium and the other venues remains tight. The provincial government recently extended the request for proposals process on the stadium, velodrome and athletic facility from the end of March to May 24. The province will evaluate the RFPs over the next two months, with a bid being awarded in June. It will be another two months for the winning company to sign the contract with the province, expected sometime in September. The Tiger-Cats will still play out their 2012 season, but they will have to vacate the venue by Dec. 2, 2012. The construction will be monitored by the city, IO and Toronto 2015 to make sure all targets are met.

“I think we have lined up all the ducks, to make sure (missed deadlines) are highly unlikely,” said McKendrick.

Meanwhile, city officials revealed it will cost less to oversee the Pan Am 2015 activities in Hamilton that was previously proposed. Initially, the city was told it would cost about $2.8 million in operating costs over the next four years for the Pan Am Games. But Coralee Secore, manager of Pan Am Initiatives, said it will not cost about $1.5 million.

For 2012, the cost is estimated to be $340,300, which will include two full-time employees. In 2013, the budget dips to $299,250, but in 2014, the budget jumps to $389,700, and three full-time staff. In 2015, the budget is projected to be $463,500.

The subcommittee approved the 2012 Pan Am budget, which will now go to the next government issues committee meeting.

The money is for administrative expenses, including a new office, and mileage. It does not cover the cost to provide a practice facility or dressing rooms for the Tiger-Cats.
 
#2,358 ·
Update on new stadium finally coming
Mayor: expect full update by the end of the month
Patrick Book Apr 3, 2012

Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco says more information on the status of the new stadium proposal will be coming soon.

Joining John Gormley Live this morning, Fiacco said a complete update on the progress of the project to build a new stadium and completely redevelop the downtown area will come to city council at the end of the month.

"That will talk about the purchase of the CP land and also talk about the actual new facility that is going to be built and what we've heard from the private sectors," he said.

Fiacco decided to hold back on the information to wait for one larger announcement instead of releasing it in bits and pieces. Without the whole picture he says any small updates would only raise more questions.
 
#2,360 ·
Encouraging news regarding the Regina football stadium. I can't see it not going ahead as Mosaic is quickly reaching the end of its shelf life. The question remains what form the new stadium will take.

I'm hoping that they'll just bite the bullet and go all out; the $500 million they've been floating about would suggest so. I just loved that First Nations proposal, but as long as it's 38,000+ the Roughriders should do fine. They really shouldn't go smaller than that.
 
#2,362 ·
The Feds are out, they made that clear already. I'm still hoping or the retractable dome, but the small thinkers are still out in full-force (Saskatchewan really only recovered from the great depression in the last 10 years) so we will see what happens. In any case the retractable stadium that was proposed was 33k perm seats, with room to expand to about 45-50k. I'm not sure if those same designs are still on the table, but the announcement will make it clear soon enough I guess.
 
#2,363 ·
Halifax is now out of the running for getting a stadium for the Women's World Cup. Looks like Moncton will be the stadium used for the east coast.

No Halifax stadium for soccer World Cup

Halifax will not be hosting any games in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Regional council on Tuesday ruled the project too expensive for the city, as it found itself with no other partners to help pay for a stadium that municipal staff most recently projected would cost $57 million.

Councillors voted 22-1 to shelve the project, with Coun. David Hendsbee (Preston-Lawrencetown-Chezzetcook) the only dissenting voice.

The decision was hardly a surprise — neither the province nor Ottawa committed to the project in December, when Halifax was supposed to let Canada Soccer know if it could afford to host one of the World Cup games.

Canada Soccer gave the city an extra three months to find funding, but city staff said Tuesday that none could be found after meetings with the premier, federal ministers and other provincial party leaders.
 
#2,367 ·
Renovations underway at Mosaic Stadium
Stands in the endzone already bulldozed to make room for upgrades
Adriana Christianson CKOM Apr 5, 2012

The home of the Roughriders is getting a makeover and it's already looking different.

Construction crews are working on upgrades to Mosaic Stadium months ahead of the preseason.

Stands on the north and south ends were torn down last week to clear the way for the next phase of construction.

Craig Reynolds, chief financial officer for the Roughriders said they are on track to meet the goal of finishing all of the upgrades before the preseason.

"Our entire organization was pretty excited - we knew it needed to happen fast in order to be ready for the preseason but I guess you're always surprised at how fast things can happen," Reynolds commented.

The demolition phase did bring up a lot of memories for some.

"When the maxtron went down I know some of our game-day folks sort of shed a little tear because it's near and dear to many people's hearts but it's exciting to see the activity happen."

Reynolds thinks it will all be worth it when fans see the new design.

"The end result is going to look fantastic, it's going to be a bowled-in atmosphere," he explained.

"There's going to be about 7500 to 7600 extra seats in both the north endzone and the south endzone - the north endzone will be largely replacing some seating that has been there previously.

Along with a new megatron screen they will be adding new box suites and concourse areas.

All of these upgrades come with a budget of $14 million and they are a temporary measure meant to make the old stadium look it's best before hosting the 2013 Grey Cup.

Meanwhile Mayor Pat Fiacco said people in Regina can expect an update on the progress of plans for the new multi-purpose facility by the end of this month.
 
#2,368 ·
Here's a video showcasing plans for Mosaic Stadium. Quite impressive for a metropolitan area of only 200,000.

Grey Cup Plans in the Football Heartland

 
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