Blue to move soon on new facility
Thu Mar 8 2007 | By Ed Tait | Winnipeg Free Press
THEY'VE had tire-kickers come forward and some requests for more information.
But the grand total of parties who have officially made a pitch to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in their call for stadium proposals still stands at one -- local business magnate David Asper.
The club has set the end of this month as the deadline for expressions of interest in developing their Polo Park site and either refurbishing Canad Inns Stadium or building a new facility.
After that, the board hopes to move quickly on making a decision on which path to take.
"I'll be very honest with you: I would love to be in a position to be able to say at the end of April/early May, 'Here's the direction the board would like to see this debate go,'" said Bomber chairman Ken Hildahl. "Some of that will be predicated on how many proposals we get. We may or may not have any proposals and it could be as simple then as starting a round of negotiations with David in terms of what the ownership structure looks like.
"But we want to get moving forward as quickly as we can so that we can at least meet with the governments and say, 'Here's the plan, here's what we need (from) you.'"
Asper's vision -- delivered with a glitzy package in early January -- calls for a $40-million investment of his family's money toward a $120-million, 40,000-seat new stadium that would also include $40 million from both the provincial and federal governments.
He would also allocate an additional $25 million toward an on-site retail component in exchange for complete control of the franchise, which would then be operated as a private corporation. Accepting Asper's plan would end 76 years of community ownership.
"When you're managing a trust for the public you do have to take the time and do the due diligence," Hildahl said. "We've had those discussions with David. He's been on the board in the past and totally understands that you can't just make a quick decision. He's been very patient.
"There's a ton of work that has to be done yet but we're certainly not going to drag our feet."
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca