Princess Auto Stadium | Winnipeg

[g35]

wow. I wish I hadn't slept in and had gone to the game now.

[JayM]

Originally Posted by g35

wow. I wish I hadn't slept in and had gone to the game now.

I ditched my split-shift work till the last minute because it was insane! I had to watch even if it was web cast.

[Only The Lonely..]

Planned stadium at U of M riles neighbours
By: Meghan Hurley

Updated: September 15 at 06:54 AM CDT | Winnipeg Free Press

SOME Fort Garry residents are outraged at a plan to build a new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers practically in their backyards.

One resident said the concept of renovating an old house should be applied to the existing stadium at Polo Park.

"They've spent plenty of time talking about upgrading the stadium, putting a dome on it, upgrading seating," Ken Turner said. "If you put a stadium in here, you're going to have a PA system loud enough to broadcast over 30,000 people. I can't imagine how loud it's going to be, not to mention where all those people are going to park their cars."

On Saturday, Creswin Properties chairman David Asper unveiled a $150-million plan to build a new stadium for the Bombers and the U of M Bisons football teams, improve the track and field facility at University Stadium and build a new stand-alone fitness centre.

Shelving a controversial proposal earlier this summer to build the stadium in South Point Douglas, Asper settled on the U of M site, which he claims will primarily benefit amateur sport -- and require only $35 million from the provincial and federal governments.

Despite its benefits for amateur sports, many local residents aren't sold on Asper's newest stadium plan.

Turner has an 11-year-old son who would be sleeping at the time a Bombers game would finish. His 90-year-old father-in-law lives with the family and many of his neighbours are elderly.

"These people go to bed at 8 at night," Turner said. "There was a soccer game going on at the University Stadium (Sunday) and there were thousands of fans in the stands, and sitting in the backyard, that's pretty much all I could hear."

Karen Rice, who has lived in the area since 1971, said she's most concerned about building a stadium so close to Victoria General Hospital.

"The lights are extremely powerful and there's a lot of noise," Rice said. "I can't imagine the board of the hospital will be thrilled to have a noise and light pollutant next door."

Others in the area say a new stadium with additional fitness facilities is a good thing, even for seniors who live in the area.

"This seems to be the ideal place to put some kind of seniors physical activity place," said resident Robert Thompson, chairman of the Fort Garry Senior Resource Council. "At the university, it's so accessible by bus and because so many seniors use public transit, this would be great."

[email protected]

[Only The Lonely..]

Turner has an 11-year-old son who would be sleeping at the time a Bombers game would finish. His 90-year-old father-in-law lives with the family and many of his neighbours are elderly.

Well, I hope they're Bomber fans!

[sledhead35]

my opinion might be considered biased because im younger and i dont mind the noise, but come on. this is a city. a city with sports teams. there has to be a point where the city says, "sorry but this makes sense and we're gonna do it".

i wonder if train yards make noise? how about airports? i used to live at 2300 portage and dozens of jets (including deafening military craft) would pass about 50ft over our building. it was a pain, but its a part of living in town.

[The Jabroni]

I don't know what the schedule is like for University Stadium for the Bisons, but come on now!! You have no excuse to go against this project when you moved into a house near a place where it's expected to be high in extra-curricular activities, like sporting events of epic proportions to an extent.

It must be a slow news day or something, like WTF!?

[Smron]

Wow.... Better scrap all the plans because little Billy Turner might not be able to sleep with all the noise.

[Geebrr]

Originally Posted by Smron

Wow.... Better scrap all the plans because little Billy Turner might not be able to sleep with all the noise.

No kidding...all 11 times a year, not even as a few would be afternoon games.

What about those poor little kids who can't get sleep because they live across the street from the current stadium...no love for them eh?

[dennis]

Perhaps the new stadium will incorporate new technologies which help reduce noise.

[Geebrr]

Originally Posted by dennis

Perhaps the new stadium will incorporate new technologies which help reduce noise.

I hope not

[dennis]

Sorry,...
Contain the noise.

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Planned stadium at U of M riles neighbours
By: Meghan Hurley

Updated: September 15 at 06:54 AM CDT | Winnipeg Free Press

SOME Fort Garry residents are outraged at a plan to build a new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers practically in their backyards.

One resident said the concept of renovating an old house should be applied to the existing stadium at Polo Park.

"They've spent plenty of time talking about upgrading the stadium, putting a dome on it, upgrading seating," Ken Turner said. "If you put a stadium in here, you're going to have a PA system loud enough to broadcast over 30,000 people. I can't imagine how loud it's going to be, not to mention where all those people are going to park their cars."

On Saturday, Creswin Properties chairman David Asper unveiled a $150-million plan to build a new stadium for the Bombers and the U of M Bisons football teams, improve the track and field facility at University Stadium and build a new stand-alone fitness centre.

Shelving a controversial proposal earlier this summer to build the stadium in South Point Douglas, Asper settled on the U of M site, which he claims will primarily benefit amateur sport -- and require only $35 million from the provincial and federal governments.

Despite its benefits for amateur sports, many local residents aren't sold on Asper's newest stadium plan.

Turner has an 11-year-old son who would be sleeping at the time a Bombers game would finish. His 90-year-old father-in-law lives with the family and many of his neighbours are elderly.

"These people go to bed at 8 at night," Turner said. "There was a soccer game going on at the University Stadium (Sunday) and there were thousands of fans in the stands, and sitting in the backyard, that's pretty much all I could hear."

Karen Rice, who has lived in the area since 1971, said she's most concerned about building a stadium so close to Victoria General Hospital.

"The lights are extremely powerful and there's a lot of noise," Rice said. "I can't imagine the board of the hospital will be thrilled to have a noise and light pollutant next door."

Others in the area say a new stadium with additional fitness facilities is a good thing, even for seniors who live in the area.

"This seems to be the ideal place to put some kind of seniors physical activity place," said resident Robert Thompson, chairman of the Fort Garry Senior Resource Council. "At the university, it's so accessible by bus and because so many seniors use public transit, this would be great."

[email protected]

Get some ear plugs and an eye patch to help you sleep at night

There are NIMBY's on the backs of every project that happens in this city. They are a relentless breed that need to just chill out and accept that Winnipeg can't stay in the 1950s anymore.

[viperred88]

I am sure Asper is losing patience ...

Anyhow if its just a bare bones single use stadium then built it at the U of M.

But hmmm I wonder if the U of W wants to get into football since they did talk about getting into hockey and soccer some time ago.It would sure would be a great rivalry with the Bisons and Brandon bobcats.

However I negate this option:

-driving to the stadium is even more difficult than it is at polo park

-it will take 6+ years to get a transit corridor to the University of Manitoba thats if the corridor gets built to the University.

-How about you just refurbish the university stadium and built a practise and training facilty for the bisons and bombers to share year round.
-----------------
abd here I go repeating myself like a broken record.
Downtown is the place to build it.

this does nothing to bring people downtown to rejevunate it.

rapid transit will be already be built downtown before the it gets to u of m

since the Human rights museum is going to get built I am sure there could be huge conventions coming our way. Like Nelson Mandella and other delegates coming here to speak. I think building retractable dome stadium attached to the convention centre makes more sense therefore there can be more uses to the stadium as it would pay for itself. The convention centre and Asper should partner up to share cost. The hotel tax would help pay pay for the retractable roof.

[Geebrr]

Originally Posted by viperred88

I am sure Asper is losing patience ...

Anyhow if its just a bare bones single use stadium then built it at the U of M.

But hmmm I wonder if the U of W wants to get into football since they did talk about getting into hockey and soccer some time ago.It would sure would be a great rivalry with the Bisons and Brandon bobcats.

However I negate this option:

-driving to the stadium is even more difficult than it is at polo park

-it will take 6+ years to get a transit corridor to the University of Manitoba thats if the corridor gets built to the University.

-How about you just refurbish the university stadium and built a practise and training facilty for the bisons and bombers to share year round.
-----------------
abd here I go repeating myself like a broken record.
Downtown is the place to build it.

this does nothing to bring people downtown to rejevunate it.

rapid transit will be already be built downtown before the it gets to u of m

since the Human rights museum is going to get built I am sure there could be huge conventions coming our way. Like Nelson Mandella and other delegates coming here to speak. I think building retractable dome stadium attached to the convention centre makes more sense therefore there can be more uses to the stadium as it would pay for itself. The convention centre and Asper should partner up to share cost. The hotel tax would help pay pay for the retractable roof.

Every time you speak on this issue I feel like punching a brick wall...seriously. Maybe you and that fool Russ Michna should get together and build a stadium downtown.

[DowntownWpg]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Well, I hope they're Bomber fans!

Ha Ha, good one!


Anyway, the papers and other local media certainly didn't take this angle (that I noticed) when the stadium was proposed to be in Point Douglas. Then again, should we be surprised? Due to the perceived "Social Economic Status" of the PD area (albeit true or false, or right or wrong in which to base perception), local mainstream news outlets were definitely not concerned with the aspect of noise affecting the sleep and environmental comfort for PD residents.

At the UofM site, it's obviously one of the first items mentioned... 'the serenity of the 'burbs!'

(geez, I can't believed I made reference to the SES statistic - I hate this stat due to how it is utilized and calculated).


One more question based on what I read earlier today...

Originally Posted by Winnipeg Free Press, Sep. 14/08

As well, the mayor said a U of M stadium could be constructed more easily than a similar building at South Point Douglas, given the absence of land-assembly and engineering issues at the Fort Garry campus.

Asper said the ground at the U of M is better suited for excavation than both the Polo Park and South Point Douglas sites, which means more of the stadium bowl could be situated below the ground.

That would not only make it cheaper to build a new stadium (less height above grade means less steel and other construction materials) but also allow the project to be completed more quickly, he said.

Full Story

Would like to add some preamble that I'm not an architect or engineer. However, I do understand the cost savings related to less structure above grade. I also 'get' that it would be easier to build on something like an open field or a golf course, as opposed to an area with concrete and whatever on the ground after demolishing whatever.

Curious just how deep under the surface they can have the field. After a big rainfall, would there be a problem with the lower bowl filling up with water (turning into 35,000 seats looking upon a retention pond). Could the sewer system handle the water from the stadium in a significant rainfall? Could they just drain the water directly into the river, independent of the sewer system (and if so, would that not imply that the field level could not be lower than the bottom of the river)?

[Only The Lonely..]

I was pretty certain that you couldn't have a recessed stadium in Winnipeg because of drainage issues.

[Only The Lonely..]

Doer supports stadium plan but isn't ready to commit cash
By: Bruce Owen

Updated: September 16 at 02:55 AM CDT | Winnipeg Free Press

PREMIER Gary Doer supports David Asper's plan to build a football stadium at the University of Manitoba and his officials are looking at contributing $20 million toward the proposed new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Doer said a key criterion for his government's support is that the province's contribution will be earned back in tax revenue.

"We've got to make sure all eventualities are taken care of, and we will," Doer said Monday, two days after Asper announced the plan.

Doer said Asper's proposal calls for the province to spend $15 million on the new stadium and $5 million on a new fitness centre on the university's Fort Garry campus to train amateur athletes.

"It's a lot more doable" than Asper's discarded proposals to build the new stadium next to Canad Inns Stadium at Polo Park or in South Point Douglas, the premier said of the current plan.

Asper, Creswin Properties chairman and Canwest Global Communications Corp. executive vice-president, unveiled his $150-million plan Saturday. It involves a 30,000-seat stadium for the Bombers and the U of M Bisons football team, improving the track and field facility at University Stadium and building a new fitness centre to replace the aging Frank Kennedy Centre.

Ottawa has been asked to contribute $15 million, although it's unlikely a commitment would be made until after the Oct. 14 federal election.

Doer said he could not comment on how long it will take the province to decide on funding, though it now appears he's on board with Asper's plan.

"He's the one taking the major risk here," the premier said of Asper. He said the province has not yet seen Asper's business plan for the U of M.

Under the proposed deal the land Canada Inns Stadium sits on would be sold to Asper at fair market value. He has said he plans to build a major shopping concourse on the Polo Park site.


[email protected]

[Only The Lonely..]

Bomber official calls latest stadium plan appealing

9/16/2008 | CJOB 680 AM


The Winnipeg Blue Bombers board chair Ken Hildahl says the latest stadium proposal for the team is appealing and exciting but he says they are rather short on details.

Winnipeg businessman David Asper is pledging 100 (m) million dollars to build a 30-thousand seat stadium for both the Bombers and the University of Manitoba Bisons.

Hildahl wants to make sure the plan addresses the long term viability of the team..

He says one of their goals is to make sure there's a plan in place five or ten years down the road should Asper decide he doesn't want to operate the team anymore..

The province is being asked to contribute 20 (m) million dollars, with the federal government kicking in another 15 (m) million.

[rrskylar]

From today's Freep (can't believe they had the guts to publish this in Asperville)



Stadium charade



I’LL see your stadium bubble, and raise you a dome.

In the quest for a new football stadium in Winnipeg, businessman David Asper has again shuffled the cards and dealt a new hand, his third, each with a different set of playing rules, none of which is particularly well-understood or explained. The pot keeps changing -- even the ante is a moving target -- and the game is starting to wear thin.

The latest proposal is for a $150-million investment at the University of Manitoba, including a new stadium for the Blue Bombers, a refurbished stadium for the U of M Bisons and a new or refurbished fitness facility. There is no breakdown on these costs, nor any explanation as to why Mr. Asper wants to improve university-owned facilities, leaving only the speculation that the add-ons are designed to clinch the deal with the university, or that they might help leverage money from the three levels of government.

Mr. Asper's original proposal to build a new stadium near the existing facility at Polo Park was apparently his preferred option, but he was forced to look elsewhere when the provincial and federal governments winced at the $80-million price tag to the taxpayer. A second vision for South Point Douglas would only have cost the taxpayer $40 million, but it was linked to a complicated and expensive development scheme.

Federal Treasury Board Minister Vic Toews said he loved the Point Douglas proposal, while the city actually signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the plan's feasibility, only to find out that Mr. Asper was never that serious about it. In fact, less than two months after that plan was leaked, Mr. Asper was involved in talks with the U of M about the possibility of building his stadium there.

While each proposal is substantially different, it's unclear why the taxpayer was asked for $80 million to build a stadium at Polo Park, but only $40 million to build the same structure at either Point Douglas or the university. The answer appears to be linked to Mr. Asper's desire to buy and develop the land where the existing stadium is located. Even though the original plan included a retail component, he would obviously be able to build a bigger shopping centre or whatever if the stadium was razed and a new one built elsewhere.

In fact, Mr. Asper's desire to develop the Polo Park land, which he says he needs to provide the revenue to support the stadium, is the only constant theme in the entire collection of proposals that have been put on parade.

Winnipeg needs a new stadium, but it's time for Mr. Asper to show his hand. The community needs to see a business plan, as well as a legal plan outlining what happens to the team if Mr. Asper's business ventures fail. Mr. Asper is a well-respected citizen and his integrity is not in question. But the more times Mr. Asper carries the ball for a new stadium, the greater the risk of a fumble. It's time to review tape.

[thegreattait]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

From today's Freep (can't believe they had the guts to publish this in Asperville)

Well this isn't the National Post,so I don't see why it would be a problem. Free Press is owned by Bob Silver not David Asper. It just might make things a little awkward next time they go golfing but the seasons almost over so that shouldn't be too much of a worry.