Halifax Stadium Discussion

[q12]

Time to fully revive this thread.

So this was discussed this morning with some Councillors on the Rick Howe Show between 9am and 10am on NEWS 95.7. Rick called Don Gardiner who said the 20,000 seat privately funded stadium plan is still in preliminary stages but that there would be some more information in coming months.

This would be amazing if they can get some deep pockets to fund this stadium, I wonder what kind of design they would go with. There are so many options listed on previous pages of this thread.

Here are some examples I dug up:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The website that shall not be named is reporting that there is a private interest in exploring a stadium for Halifax. Don Gardiner of Gardiner Group is working with Aubrey Palmeter of Eastpoint Engineering along with other unnamed members who are stated to have previous stadium experience. Financing is reported to be coming from Dubai interests. Apparently they are looking at a deal where govt would provide a site along with adjacent land to let them develop other projects.

I also see Keith posted this back on Jan 26, 2015.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by q12

Time to fully revive this thread.

So this was discussed this morning with some Councillors on the Rick Howe Show between 9am and 10am on NEWS 95.7. Rick called Don Gardiner who said the 20,000 seat privately funded stadium plan is still in preliminary stages but that there would be some more information in coming months.

I'd support that, but are there precious few examples of privately financed stadiums anywhere in the world.

One of the very few I can think of is the new San Francisco stadium for the 49ers (in a suburban location, for what it's worth). But they have the backing of an NFL team. We don't have anything like that.

[c-way-dude]

Originally Posted by q12

Time to fully revive this thread.

So this was discussed this morning with some Councillors on the Rick Howe Show between 9am and 10am on NEWS 95.7. Rick called Don Gardiner who said the 20,000 seat privately funded stadium plan is still in preliminary stages but that there would be some more information in coming months.

This would be amazing if they can get some deep pockets to fund this stadium, I wonder what kind of design they would go with. There are so many options listed on previous pages of this thread.

Here are some examples I dug up:








I also see Keith posted this back on Jan 26, 2015.

I think that it is safe to assume that the reason they are pursuing a 20k stadium is because that is pretty much the minimum capacity necessary to house a CFL team. Since it is the minimum size for a CFL franchise, I would expect almost all of the seats to be along the sidelines between the goallines. Seats behind the endzones would not generate as much revenue for the franchise owners. Although it would be beneficial due to the area's climate, I doubt that a stadium would have canopies because of the additional cost. If this goes forward, I expect the city to end up with a stadium like Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

[scryer]

From an amateur city planning perspective, I think that it would be very interesting to have the stadium in Dartmouth. Do you think it could promote a healthy competitive vibe between the two cities (like Edmonton and Calgary?). Regardless I hope it does happen.

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by scryer

From an amateur city planning perspective, I think that it would be very interesting to have the stadium in Dartmouth. Do you think it could promote a healthy competitive vibe between the two cities (like Edmonton and Calgary?). Regardless I hope it does happen.

Between what two cities?

[q12]

Field of dreams: Businessman floats idea of private funds to build outdoor Halifax stadium

Mayor Mike Savage said he'd welcome private investment, seating would be at about 20,000.

Metro Halifax
By: Yvette d'Entremont Published on Wed May 18 2016

Love the idea or hate it, talk of a stadium being constructed in Halifax is a conversation starter.
Mayor Mike Savage said on Wednesday that local businessman Don Gardiner of Gardiner Atlantic Consulting Group had spoken with him “a couple of weeks ago” about the idea of bringing private money to build a stadium.

It's believed it would in the 20,000-seating range.

Read more here: http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/201...a-of-private-funds-to-build-stadium.html

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by scryer

From an amateur city planning perspective, I think that it would be very interesting to have the stadium in Dartmouth. Do you think it could promote a healthy competitive vibe between the two cities (like Edmonton and Calgary?). Regardless I hope it does happen.

The Halifax-Dartmouth relationship is more like Vancouver-Surrey than Edmonton-Calgary, with an extra complication being that Halifax and Dartmouth are legally part of the same "city". It's tough (although potentially good) to foster separate "cultural" identities for Halifax and Dartmouth without creating a very negative civic/political tension between the two (remember that they are both governed by the same mayor/council).

Something that would actually be very interesting: if the stadium were built in Dartmouth and a pro team established there, called the "Dartmouth [whatevers]" rather than the "Halifax/NS/Maritime/Atlantic [whatevers]".

[Hali87]

On that note, are the flags in the foreground here the old Dartmouth flag? Were these here last year?


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Hali87

The Halifax-Dartmouth relationship is more like Vancouver-Surrey than Edmonton-Calgary, with an extra complication being that Halifax and Dartmouth are legally part of the same "city". It's tough (although potentially good) to foster separate "cultural" identities for Halifax and Dartmouth without creating a very negative civic/political tension between the two (remember that they are both governed by the same mayor/council).

Something that would actually be very interesting: if the stadium were built in Dartmouth and a pro team established there, called the "Dartmouth [whatevers]" rather than the "Halifax/NS/Maritime/Atlantic [whatevers]".

Or call them the Halifax Dartmouths . I kid.

Thanks for the explanation, I understand the relationship a little better now. Surrey has its own mayor though and it does things a little more independently than say Burnaby or North Vancouver, being that they are located further south of the Fraser River, although they are a part of Metro Vancouver.

Personally I never thought it was ever a bad thing to have multiple urban cultures in one metro area (or at least in Canada) as it promotes different ideas and sometimes inspires different architecture. Hopefully the stadium becomes a closer reality as I feel it could help HRM align itself more with an identity as a major (and IMPORTANT) Canadian metropolis in the east. IMO, the maritimes are Canada's gateway to Europe and Western Africa much like Vancouver is Canada's gateway to Asia. And unfortunately I feel that this niche is not taken advantage of in the Maritimes.

[c-way-dude]

If the rumour is true and they have been working on a privately financed stadium since at least January of last year, can anyone think of a reason why they chose now to go public?

[curnhalio]

Originally Posted by scryer

Or call them the Halifax Dartmouths . I kid.

The Dartmouth Haligonians

If there will be a major private investment, I don't see what the problem would be. Transit can run shuttles for major events to take some of the pressure off the road network, the Bridge Terminal isn't very far away in terms of straight line distance.

[dtown]

Yes, those are the old city of Dartmouth flags. I think they have been there a couple of years at least now.

[IanWatson]

AllNS reports that the private group looking to build a stadium figures it'll cost $120 million and they are in talks with Dartmouth Crossing and another land owner with land along a highway.

[dtown]

One would assume that other highway would be the 102? So I wonder if that would be closer to Bayers Lake, or the airport...

[teddifax]

Gee, I think the top of the newly cleared hill in Phase 2 of Bayers Lake would be a fantastic site and venue. Imagine it could be seen from far and wide from that height.

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by teddifax

Gee, I think the top of the newly cleared hill in Phase 2 of Bayers Lake would be a fantastic site and venue. Imagine it could be seen from far and wide from that height.

Except that it's not, really. That land is already spoken for, so far as I know. Bayers Lake in general is pretty awful from a design and layout perspective, and I don't see much in the expansion plans that's going to help fix that.

Dartmouth Crossing, with all of its flaws, is still better in terms of layout and access than Bayers Lake.

[q12]

Stay tuned...

Sounds like there will be significant news on this in just a few weeks according to NEWS 95.7's The Rick Howe show.

[craner]

^Lets hope so - my fingers are crossed.
I think something like THF in Hamilton would be perfect for Halifax in the CFL.

[sneakyzero]

Originally Posted by craner

^Lets hope so - my fingers are crossed.
I think something like THF in Hamilton would be perfect for Halifax in the CFL.

[HomeInMyShoes]

It's been a few weeks now. Three exactly. Some of us are impatient.