Stadiums and Arenas of Canada

[esquire]

^ Interesting... you don't see very many velodromes going up in Canada. Is this a replacement for the Argyll Veldorome?

[Coldrsx]

I believe it is to compliment, but I could be wrong.

[Black Star]

^^Yes it's the replacement.

[Airboy]

It is also the indoor training centre for the Triathlon academy making the first full indoor tri training facility.

What I have been led to believe there will also be public use of the track, similar to swimming.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by elly63

Tim Hortons Field Hamilton March 5/2014 (8:00 am)

With cooperative wind/weather they should have the slabs installed right across the grandstand by the weekend, and perhaps they'll even get started on the trickier upper rows under the press box frame.
EDIT: It looks like the lower half of that last section of slabs has been done today.

It's funny that the west-facing camera changes its angle early in the day, cutting off the view of the right side.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

BMO Expansion - meeting tonight regarding it - per https://twitter.com/TFCLeafnation

[cjones2451]

Is 25,000 enough for the Argos?

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Is 25,000 enough for the Argos?

I don't mean to be an — but I actually laughed out loud at that

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Now it looks like a proper football stadium. It will be hard for TFC fans to complain once they see these.

[elly63]

Tks to biag ‏@TFCLeafnation for headsup

- Open design to let grass grow
- Hybrid grass system at BMO
- EPL experience at BMO with roof
- Adding video boards to BMO and special events like Winter Classic, MLS Cup. World Cup, Grey Cup other large events
- From 21000 to 30000 in first phase to accommodate Argos
- Very early on design for roof
- Bob Hunter on the floor. Argos done deal at BMO
- First phase of construction in time for Pan AM Games and Rugby
- Private sector majority of cost

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Special event setup

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by elly63

- Open design to let grass grow
- Hybrid grass system at BMO
- EPL experience at BMO with roof
- Adding video boards to BMO and special events like Winter Classic, MLS Cup. World Cup, Grey Cup other large events
- From 21000 to 30000 in first phase to accommodate Argos
- Very early on design for roof
- Bob Hunter on the floor. Argos done deal at BMO
- First phase of construction in time for Pan AM Games and Rugby
- Private sector majority of cost

Wow, that's big news. Hopefully this really helps out the Argonauts, they have so much potential as a business.

You say from 21,000 to 30,000 but the board said 25,000 for Argonaut seating. Can you clarify on this?

Also, when would the Argonauts be expected to move in?

[elly63]

I'm interpreting that as getting the seating done in the first phase before the roof to get the Argos in there. Argos at 25k and TFC at 30k.

First phase of construction in time for Pan AM Games
Pan Am Games July 10 - 26, 2015
Parapan Am Games August 7 - 15, 2015

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Timelines

Michael Przybyłowski ‏@prizby 2m
Concourse and east stands should be done by May 1st, 2015; 2nd phase done by May 1st, 2016; shovels in the ground after labour day/cne

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Phase two involving retractable endzone seating and roof?

[FutureSmith]

Originally Posted by FrankieFlowerpot

Special event setup

Strange. 40,000-seat setup includes the retractable end zone seating. Wonder how they plan to fit the Grey Cup in there?

[Black Star]

^ It will be back to sky Dome.....

[EpicPonyTime]

I wonder if there are any plans to potentially increase the capacity for the Argos if needed? I honestly cannot see BMO hosting a Grey Cup due to size limitations of the area (I'd expect them to negotiate to hold it at Rogers Centre), but it might be possible to expand capacity to 30,000.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by BLACK STAR

^ It will be back to sky Dome.....

The image for special event set up does mention the Grey Cup, but given that when you add the temporary seats and remove the retractable seats from the equation you end up with a capacity of (I'm guessing) about 35,000, it is highly unlikely that the Grey Cup wouldn't be played at Skydome. An extra 16,000 seats at $200 a pop (which is probably less than the cheapest GC seat goes for these days) means that Skydome would definitely host.

Generally speaking though, this looks like a win-win. There is no denying that BMO as shown would be a dramatic improvement. It would go from looking like some sort of temporary grandstand contraption to an actual proper stadium which I'd expect TFC and its fans to welcome. The roof definitely has an EPL flavour to it.

I'm a bit perplexed by why football fans would consider this to be an improvement... Skydome was built specifically to get the Argos and the Blue Jays out of the inclement weather, and it has a certain big-time aura that BMO would never convey. Yet fans in Toronto never seemed happy with the place, so in true grass-is-greener spirit here go the Argos back to Exhibition Place. (How long before fans start complaining about cold October winds off the lake?)

But that said, the stadium does seem to meet the needs of the Argos... a new-ish facility, centrally located and with the apparently now standard (for the eastern division) 25,000 seats.

It looks like the design is pretty far along... I guess they're really serious about this.

[someone123]

One of the local pollsters in Halifax ran some questions about the CFL. Here are the results: http://cra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/14-1-CFL-Press-Release-Halifax.docx.pdf

About 25% of people said that they would definitely attend at least one CFL game in the city. The expected attendance of locals based on the poll results is 27,000 per game. Saying you'll do something and doing it are two different things but 25% support in a poll seems significant. This is also encouraging for politicians who are on the fence about a stadium.

The poll left out people in adjacent counties who in practice could get to a stadium in 30-60 minutes and are probably "locals" from an attendance perspective.