Halifax Stadium Discussion - Page 210

q12 · #**4181** Posted **Dec 6, 2011, 11:32 PM**

Isn't what they are proposing almost the same idea as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Waterfront Stadium?
http://club.whitecapsfc.com/stadium/waterfront/

Quote:

The proposed stadium would seat 15,000 spectators and could be expanded to 30,000 seats in the coming years.

http://club.whitecapsfc.com/stadium/waterfront/faq/

Wikipedia says it was going to cost $70 million and seat 20,000 which may not be accurate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitecaps_Waterfront_Stadium

http://club.whitecapsfc.com/files/Images/Stadium/renderings/renderingsouthlarge.jpg

Sorry for the size but you can see the detail better.

http://club.whitecapsfc.com/files/Images/Stadium/renderings/northview.jpg

fenwick16 · #**4182** Posted **Dec 6, 2011, 11:48 PM**

The HRM proposal doesn't have a roof - that is a big difference. Also, the Whitecaps seem to have committed to BC Place - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Whitecaps_FC.

In order for a soccer specific stadium to work for football, it would need more sideline seats.

RyeJay · #**4183** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 12:07 AM**

Look at how stupid Vancouver is, proposing this stadium for their downtown.

How horrible!!! Don't they know that there are people there??!!

Halifax logic would be to propose a stadium on top of one of those mountains...

Jstaleness · #**4184** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 12:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Look at how stupid Vancouver is, proposing this stadium for their downtown.

How horrible!!! Don't they know that there are people there??!!

Halifax logic would be to propose a stadium on top of one of those mountains...

Yeah really! Imagine that, a stadium where all of your Transit and accommodations are central and already exist.

someone123 · #**4185** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 12:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Look at how stupid Vancouver is, proposing this stadium for their downtown.

How horrible!!! Don't they know that there are people there??!!

Halifax logic would be to propose a stadium on top of one of those mountains...

In addition to being downtown around lots of hotels and bars, Vancouver's stadium and arena are also right next to a SkyTrain rapid transit station that can handle a lot of traffic.

A service like (maybe not elevated) is probably already practical for the downtown and urban core, but would not be practical for Dartmouth Crossing since most of the time it would be underused.

Empire · #**4186** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 1:43 AM**

Council is relentless in being depressing. Steve Adams states that we are putting 20 million on the table toward a stadium and now we should say enough is enough.

It is now up to other partners to say what they will bring to the table. Wow, who's flipping stadium is it anyway. We have clearly recognized a piece of community infrastructure that has been lacking for decades. It is also clear that we have bungled past opportunities to build a stadium and are still suffering a major black eye for pulling out of the Commonwealth Games. Other Canadian cities lost an opportunity to host the Commonwealth Games because of our incredible indecision....namely Hamilton.

Also, Watts has the gall to say we may have to put more staff resources into this. Again wow, don't lift your lazy butt and work toward a community venture that has benifit for all.....just let someone else do it.

Why don't they berate Darrell Dexter for buying 23 million dollars worth of swamp land from Bowater.

After all we have been through to have our elected representatives suggest someone else should build our sport infrastructure is appalling!

CorbeauNoir · #**4187** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 2:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

Isn't what they are proposing almost the same idea as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Waterfront Stadium?

I believe this project is dead, those links are pretty outdated (they don't even use the Caps' new logo and most of the news links are several years old). In any case it would seem weird for them to be building another stadium within walking distance of BC Place when they just completed a half-billion dollar retrofit largely done to accommodate the Caps.

fenwick16 · #**4188** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 2:53 AM**

I spent the last few days drawing a conceptual model in Google Sketchup. For the FIFA Women's Cup, it seems important to have an intimate stadium. The phase 2 study considered the idea of keeping the stadium intimate by using temporary endzone seats. However, another method is to shift the soccer field towards one end and have the sideline seats symmetrical around the soccer field and slightly asymmetrical around the football field (so at one end of the football field the seats are closer to the field, whereas at the soccer end the sideline border areas can meet the FIFA allowances).

The following configuration would seat 19,500 people in 24 lower rows and 24 upper rows; the breakdown would be 3,000 endzone seats, 11,000 seats along one sideline and 5,500 seats along the other sideline (however, the capacity could be decreased with a fewer number of rows). I imagine the lower bowl would be concrete and formed by local area tradesmen with all folding seats along the sidelines and perhaps one piece molded seats in the endzone (all folding seats are better for accessing seats though).

The ultimate capacity would be 40,000 - 45,000 depending on whether it was completely double-decked all around.

q12 · #**4189** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 3:55 AM**

Fenwick very nice. This looks so much better than the design they are proposing. This would be worth sending to someone on council like Dawn Sloane. She seems to really support the stadium and I think she respects your opinion Fenwick. This type of design needs to be looked at before blindly going with that basic design that has been proposed.

fenwick16 · #**4190** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 4:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

Fenwick very nice. This looks so much better than the design they are proposing. This would be worth sending to someone on council like Dawn Sloane. She seems to really support the stadium and I think she respects your opinion Fenwick. This type of design needs to be looked at before blindly going with that basic design that has been proposed.

Thanks, I doubt that anyone at HRM respects my opinion but it wouldn't hurt to send the image in. I will send it tomorrow.

I don't think the stadium design would be too expensive if built in a no-frills manner. The lower bowl is similar to InfoCison Stadium (but configured for FIFA soccer and Canadian football). Here is an image link to the lower bowl of InfoCision Stadium - http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/8059/085gh.jpg (my picture). For FIFA soccer it should be all folding seats instead of benches. I am sure that there are companies in the Maritimes that could build the concrete forms and pour the concrete.

c@taract_soulj@h · #**4191** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 6:17 AM**

The leg-up you all have when it comes to building a stadium in Halifax compared to Hamilton, is that you don't already have a CFL team to throw around. I mean you do, but it's just a ghost right now so you don't have that to use as a pawn and oh, we totally did here. It was a had a city-council vs. owner battle and to suffice it to say, both sides had different stipulations and we were in danger of losing the team.

It was West Harbour which did look great but had no highway access OR the East Mountain in the middle of a field but great highway access. Final result = Drag the city into a year and a half battle for nothing and simply rebuild at the original location...what an embarrassment that was.

For Halifax, any city wants whats best for them and from an optimists standpoint, you'll still have a stadium football team or not. All city council can do right now is to make the most adequate decision to have to the best design, location and amenities possible. Leave the CFL team to the CFL and focus on the current opportunity and hope that it gets the funding deserved. Halifax is a great town and a stadium will be a tremendous addition to the region.

isaidso · #**4192** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 11:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

I am sure they can put 10-15K at Husky. There has to be 20 metres from the back of the stands to parking. Sure it would be asymmetrical, because you would have to cut out the south end a bit around the tower, but that is about 10% of the potential site for a new grandstand.

Is the 20 metres from the back of the stands for parking a regulation? Can't they build a sunken bowl, then have the west stands extend to it meets Loyola, and do the same to the other side to extend above and on top of the Tower? You'd likely have to get rid of the athletics track (a bonus AFAIC), but you could put a 25,000 seat bowl there if you used all the space efficiently. It's the cost and neighbourhood back lash that's the obstacle.

Honestly, I was surprised that the Tower was built without future football stadium expansion in mind.

Empire · #**4193** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 11:21 AM**

It would be nice if the Stadium Steering Committee would approach some local contractors or developers to get a idea of construction costs. Strescon for steel and Cherubini for steel.

This would get the ball rolling in a serious direction. 50-71 million seems high for the stadium being proposed of 10-14 thousand permanent seats.

Maybe Cherubini could do one section in steel and Strescon do the main stand in concrete.

Cherubini Metal Works
http://www.cherubinigroup.com/

Strescon Concrete....Concrete and Steel
http://www.oscoconstructiongroup.com/concrete.aspx

fenwick16 · #**4194** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 11:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

It would be nice if the Stadium Steering Committee would approach some local contractors or developers to get a idea of construction costs. Strescon for steel and Cherubini for steel.

This would get the ball rolling in a serious direction. 50-71 million seems high for the stadium being proposed of 10-14 thousand permanent seats.

Maybe Cherubini could do one section in steel and Strescon do the main stand in concrete.

Cherubini Metal Works
http://www.cherubinigroup.com/

Strescon Concrete....Concrete and Steel
http://www.oscoconstructiongroup.com/concrete.aspx

I wish this would be considered. Strescon, according to their website, has experience with prefab risers that could be used in the lower bowl, or it could possibly be poured in place with forms. How about HRM contacting the company that did the concrete side of the Moncton Stadium - maybe that company can do the Halifax Stadium (they even have a partial roof - http://www.cfl.ca/article/tickets-to-touchdown-atlantic-sold-out )

I feel that Halifax could get a much better stadium by getting local contractors involved who would have more pride in the finished product.

Wishblade · #**4195** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 2:10 PM**

I read on CBC this morning that the stadium proposal for DC has a domed roof. Thats certainly not what I see in the sketch ups but has anyone else heard this?

beyeas · #**4196** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wishblade

I read on CBC this morning that the stadium proposal for DC has a domed roof. Thats certainly not what I see in the sketch ups but has anyone else heard this?

me thinks that is just piss poor reporting.

Empire · #**4197** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wishblade

I read on CBC this morning that the stadium proposal for DC has a domed roof. Thats certainly not what I see in the sketch ups but has anyone else heard this?

This comes from Barry Dalrymple's insane conclusion that that stadium is domed because he heard earlier in the committee presentation that they planned to use a bubble dome in the winter for indoor soccer.......this is what we are up against......

JET · #**4198** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 5:40 PM**

the Chronicle Herald article also referred to it being domed, and having year round use. At first I thought they meant doomed rather than domed, but maybe...

someone123 · #**4199** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

This comes from Barry Dalrymple's insane conclusion that that stadium is domed because he heard earlier in the committee presentation that they planned to use a bubble dome in the winter for indoor soccer.......this is what we are up against......

HRM regional council is a very special crew.

Are they still doing the gratuitous 5-10 minute talks (while arguing with the mayor for more time) without having any real clue what their point is?

MaritimeCFLFan · #**4200** Posted **Dec 7, 2011, 6:16 PM**

Voting to extend the process by 6 months doesn't surprise me. It's a good idea to allow for more time to properly assess things. If however in 6 months there is still no committment from partners like the Feds or Province then I think the project simply dies.

It would be nice if somebody could do a study, a series of polls or something before this 6 month window is gone to see what type of interest for a future CFL team exists out there. Perhaps a list of potential season ticket holders or a simple yes or no poll on wheather you had any interest in attending x number of games a year.