Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[EpicPonyTime]

I wouldn’t say the CFL’s pre-Covid proposal was grandiose, though it was an optics issue for them to initially propose a $180 million stadium and then continuously revise once it was clear no one was biting. They ultimately proposed a $110 million bare-bones grandstand with temporary seating on the other side of the field, which is effectively what Ambrosie was suggesting. That’s roughly comparable to the $116-122 million cost to redevelop the Wanderers Grounds that is presently being discussed (inclusive of stadium + other amenities). I don’t know if the CFL’s price tag included the cost of the surrounding infrastructure at Shannon Park.

If anything, the CFL’s proposal was fatally uninspiring. I recall the response effectively being “$110 million for that?” You are right that, had the League framed the conversation in a different manner they likely would have had a better response. It simply was the wrong proposal at the wrong time. IMO a temporary facility (akin to Empire Field) with prospects for renovations would have been more appealing.

It’s somewhat frustrating to see the Wanderers succeed where the CFL failed in this regard, but their proposal is what the CFL’s should have been from the start. Obviously there’s some elements inherently in the Wanderers’ favour that the CFL couldn’t do anything about, like location, but hopefully next time the League pursues expansion the Schooners proposal is used as an example of what not to do.