Halifax Stadium Discussion

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

That aerial photo cinches it for me.......there just isn't the footprint at SMU to have a decent sized stadium, even if you lose the track. You will just have to look somewhere else.

I still think Gorsebrook would be a good choice for a penninsular location.

I agree it looks way to cramped to try to jam that many seats in that field. Gorsebrook looks good, as long as people won't complain about losing some greenspace.

[hfx_chris]

Well, aside from it being a very disappointing game, Huskies Stadium actually looked good. Nice crowd too.

[fenwick16]

It certainly was a frustrating game to watch. However based on the fan support, Halifax really deserves a better stadium. The question to me is whether it will simply be a SMU stadium or an HRM stadium meant to be used by the entire community.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

It certainly was a frustrating game to watch. However based on the fan support, Halifax really deserves a better stadium. The question to me is whether it will simply be a SMU stadium or an HRM stadium meant to be used by the entire community.

Willow park would be an ideal site for a stadium. However, even if the site could be obtained it no doubt would take twenty years of red tape. The most logical site is Mainland North Common. It is already zoned recreational, there are allweather fields etc. and the space is available. It would be seen from the BI-HI and has good highway connections. Shuttle busses could run from downtown - a constant round trip until the event is over. Funding may be easier to get in that setting and there would be less outcry. The HRM councillor for the area , MLA and Sport and Rec dept for both HRM and NS would need to be on board.

[hfx_chris]

Now I still prefer the location on Commodore Drive near Dartmouth Crossing, where the new soccer and football fields are located.

[fenwick16]

My concern with the Dartmouth Crossings and Halifax Mainland Commons sites is the transit time for someone living in Cole Harbour to get to the Halifax Mainland Commons or vice versa for someone living in Spryfield to get to Dartmouth Crossings by bus. Halifax already has good transit to the downtown area so this is the best location. There appears to be a vacant lot at the northeast corner of Windsor and Young Street. It isn't quite large enough for a stadium though, so they would need to demolish a couple maintenance sheds on the DND Willow Park land. Maybe they could do a land swap in another part of the HRM in exchange for this land.

This area has good connections to highways also. There is what appears to be a supermarket next to the vacant lot so it might not even be owned by the DND. Maybe it is already city land since part of Young Street cuts across it(?). All of my observations come from Mapquest which might be out of date. For all I know there might already be construction on this site. Does anyone know?

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

My concern with the Dartmouth Crossings and Halifax Mainland Commons sites is the transit time for someone living in Cole Harbour to get to the Halifax Mainland Commons or vice versa for someone living in Spryfield to get to Dartmouth Crossings by bus. Halifax already has good transit to the downtown area so this is the best location. There appears to be a vacant lot at the northeast corner of Windsor and Young Street. It isn't quite large enough for a stadium though, so they would need to demolish a couple maintenance sheds on the DND Willow Park land. Maybe they could do a land swap in another part of the HRM in exchange for this land.

This area has good connections to highways also. There is what appears to be a supermarket next to the vacant lot so it might not even be owned by the DND. Maybe it is already city land since part of Young Street cuts across it(?). All of my observations come from Mapquest which might be out of date. For all I know there might already be construction on this site. Does anyone know?

That lot is owned by the DND. Right now its still vacant and there a tiny little 'No Trespassing' sign on the corner of it.

[fenwick16]

Thanks for the information. This seems like an ideal site if the HRM could get this plus some additional land.

[q12]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

My concern with the Dartmouth Crossings and Halifax Mainland Commons sites is the transit time for someone living in Cole Harbour to get to the Halifax Mainland Commons or vice versa for someone living in Spryfield to get to Dartmouth Crossings by bus. Halifax already has good transit to the downtown area so this is the best location. There appears to be a vacant lot at the northeast corner of Windsor and Young Street. It isn't quite large enough for a stadium though, so they would need to demolish a couple maintenance sheds on the DND Willow Park land. Maybe they could do a land swap in another part of the HRM in exchange for this land.

This area has good connections to highways also. There is what appears to be a supermarket next to the vacant lot so it might not even be owned by the DND. Maybe it is already city land since part of Young Street cuts across it(?). All of my observations come from Mapquest which might be out of date. For all I know there might already be construction on this site. Does anyone know?

Is this the corner your talking about?

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by q12

Is this the corner your talking about?

Yes this is the one. I envision a stadium with the length running parallel to Windsor Street. So a couple of maintenance sheds would have to be demolished on the adjacent land north of this. I don't think that a stadium would fit in the other direction.

What are your thoughts on this location?

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

My concern with the Dartmouth Crossings and Halifax Mainland Commons sites is the transit time for someone living in Cole Harbour to get to the Halifax Mainland Commons or vice versa for someone living in Spryfield to get to Dartmouth Crossings by bus. Halifax already has good transit to the downtown area so this is the best location. There appears to be a vacant lot at the northeast corner of Windsor and Young Street.

I would hardly call Windsor and Young "downtown" - travelling to this area from Cole Harbour or Spryfield (your examples) would require at least one transfer, just as travelling to Dartmouth Crossing or the Mainland Common would. There's no one place, aside from the downtown core (Citadel anyone?), where it's going to be totally convenient for everybody coming from every location by transit.
As far as highway access, all three sites are in good locations.

However I think you guys are honestly dreaming if you ever thing there's a chance of a stadium going into the Young/Windsor area - unless of course if you wanted the Forum demolished.

[q12]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Yes this is the one. I envision a stadium with the length running parallel to Windsor Street. So a couple of maintenance sheds would have to be demolished on the adjacent land north of this. I don't think that a stadium would fit in the other direction.

What are your thoughts on this location?

I think this would work, I wonder how much of DND's land it would need? Would the superstore be in the way? I know that on either side of windsor street there is a lot of empty underutilized space (i.e. parking lots). I think if it fits there the central access is definitely a plus.

[q12]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

I would hardly call Windsor and Young "downtown" - travelling to this area from Cole Harbour or Spryfield (your examples) would require at least one transfer, just as travelling to Dartmouth Crossing or the Mainland Common would. There's no one place, aside from the downtown core (Citadel anyone?), where it's going to be totally convenient for everybody coming from every location by transit.
As far as highway access, all three sites are in good locations.

However I think you guys are honestly dreaming if you ever thing there's a chance of a stadium going into the Young/Windsor area - unless of course if you wanted the Forum demolished.

At one time there was talk of filling in the harbour downtown to build a stadium on the waterfront. There is also the cogswell interchange but I think all of us would like to see that turned into skyscrapers at some point for more density in the downtown.

[q12]

I think the fact that organizers of the 2014 commonwealth games bid chose Shannon park probably says something about the costs and time associated with finding land on the pennisula. What we need really is some event to host that would bring federal and provincial funding for a stadium. I know they already screwed up the commonwealth games, but look at the 2011 Canada games, and the infrastructure that it is bringing (aquatic centre). We could build a stadium to host the Vanier Cup or something like that. Ideas?

[q12]

Here was our site and stadium that never happened.







Note if you remove the north and south end zone seating you have about a 35,000 seat stadium.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

I would hardly call Windsor and Young "downtown" - travelling to this area from Cole Harbour or Spryfield (your examples) would require at least one transfer, just as travelling to Dartmouth Crossing or the Mainland Common would. There's no one place, aside from the downtown core (Citadel anyone?), where it's going to be totally convenient for everybody coming from every location by transit.
As far as highway access, all three sites are in good locations.

However I think you guys are honestly dreaming if you ever thing there's a chance of a stadium going into the Young/Windsor area - unless of course if you wanted the Forum demolished.

I agree completely that Dartmouth Crossings or Mainland Commons would likely be easier to obtain land in. However, in the long run a more central location would be better. Looking at the map, that site is only about 1.5 km from the Halifax Commons where the concerts were held. So this is within walking distance of the Halifax Commons. It fact this site is only about 1.5 km from buses crossing the MacDonald Bridge and there are several bus routes in the area.

I doubt that the city would want to demolish the Halifax Forum since it would eliminate a couple of ice pads which the city needs. However, if they could obtain the site north of Young and Windsor street then people going to concerts and football games could use the parking lot at the Forum.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by q12

Here was our site and stadium that never happened.

Note if you remove the north and south end zone seating you have about a 35,000 seat stadium.

One reason for selecting this location would have been to allow room for all the other facilities. And since a track is included, the stadium takes up even more room and has poorer site lines for football and other events. Another thing that I would worry about is that there might be cool winds coming off the harbour. However, you have a good point about the selection committee selecting this site. They would have an idea about the cost involved. It would be closer to the main transit lines than Dartmouth Crossings or Mainland Commons locations.

I envision SMU using the stadium so the Forum area would be closer to the SMU campus.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

One reason for selecting this location would have been to allow room for all the other facilities. And since a track is included, the stadium takes up even more room and has poorer site lines for football and other events. Another thing that I would worry about is that there might be cool winds coming off the harbour. However, you have a good point about the selection committee selecting this site. They would have an idea about the cost involved.

I think evidence post- bid withdrawal would indicate that nobody involved had any clue what anything would cost. You are quite correct about the cold, damp location -- it is a very poor site because of that.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I agree completely that Dartmouth Crossings or Mainland Commons would likely be easier to obtain land in. However, in the long run a more central location would be better. Looking at the map, that site is only about 1.5 km from the Halifax Commons where the concerts were held. So this is within walking distance of the Halifax Commons. It fact this site is only about 1.5 km from buses crossing the MacDonald Bridge and there are several bus routes in the area.
...
However, if they could obtain the site north of Young and Windsor street then people going to concerts and football games could use the parking lot at the Forum.

It doesn't matter how ideal it is, my point is that the land you're talking about is owned by National Defence, and is actively used by the military. This isn't a situation like the old runway 16/34 at Shearwater which was no longer used and could be sold to Canada Lands, this is actually in use.
The idea that DND is just going to part with the land and move all of their existing transport, maintenance and supply buildings to some other location is silly.

[fenwick16]

Just out of interest I overlaid the McMahon Stadium in Calgary on the DND lands north of the Halifax Forum (based on Google Earth images at the same resolution). It appears as though the only way to fit a stadium on these lands would be to go with a significantly smaller stadium than McMahon Stadium. If the second tier of seats were removed then it might just barely squeeze onto this area without going past the supermarket. I will try it on a few other areas (Dartmouth Crossings, Mainland Commons and Shannon Park) some other time.

Here it is: