Halifax Stadium Discussion

[brettinhalifax]

account deleted

[Halifax Privateer]

.... because of the number of games; football games are events. Halifax does events very very well. I believe we would be an overwhelming success as a CFL franchise.

[fenwick16]

This link was posted in the Hamilton Pan-Am Stadium discussion -

Originally Posted by c@taract_soulj@h

All I have to say is this...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1881605/

This might be a good time for Halifax to get federal funding for a stadium. However, I assume they would also want substantial contributions from the provincial and municipal governments.

[sdm]

Peter Kelly is pursuing the stadium dream
Halifax mayor met with stadium construction firm
Posted by Tim Bousquet on Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 1:57 PM

The city is officially in pursuit of the 2015 Women’s Cup of soccer, which of course would require a stadium. There's been a lot of talk about how to achieve that, with the options coming down to either enlarging the current Huskies stadium on the SMU campus, or building a brand new stadium somewhere else.
And if mayor Peter Kelly's expense reports are any indication, the city appears to be leaning towards the "build a new stadium" solution. The reports indicate that on December 18, Kelly flew to Toronto to "Meet with Ussuli US LLC."

And who is Ussuli US LLC? Well, actually, it's a city in Somalia. It'd be great if our mayor was negotiating the freedom of kidnap victims or, even better, studying the effects of free market economics and deregulation taken to their logical conclusion, but more likely our fair mayor, or his crack journalist-cum-PR staffer Peter Duffy, simply mispelled the name of Nussli (US) LLC, an "event contractor and exhibition contractor" based in Moresville, Indiana.

This meeting cost we taxpayers just $633.50, so I'm assuming the mayor's expense reporting doesn't include airfare. What we're supposed to get from it, I don't know--Kelly is out of town today, and I can't reach him.

This is somewhat newsworthy, because today comes word that the federal Conservatives found a billion dollars of our tax dollars lying around dormant somewhere, and rather than use it to pay down their galactic-sized deficit, they're thinking of using it to build stadia around the country. And Kelly, the story goes, is tied into the Conservative pork machine, so therefore little old Halifax will ride Harper's Quebec seat-search into stadium Nirvana, or some such, I dunno.

We'll see, I guess.

http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/...-stadium-dream

[fenwick16]

So it sounds like wespidel was right. Personally I would like to see a Maritime company build a permanent structure out of concrete and steel. However, maybe a temporary stadium is all that there is time for at this point (?). It could be that a Nussli type temporary stadium is being considered along with other options. Nussli built the BC Lion's temporary stadium.

[wespidel]

Fenwick I know more and have seen the design, it`s a modular bowl type permanent structure which Nussli`s only has to offer because they are mainly a temporary stadium facility and a demountable stadium company not really a major permanent stadium builder like PCL which I believe since hearing what`s going on in Hamilton on price, it`s not the way to go but to agree with you Fenwick it`s better to have it built locally,I believe Halifax could safe a lot of money if they were to hire their own architect and engineer and tender locally to have it built and for the Halifax to buy all the material needed to built the stadium direct themselves, avoiding a huge mark up and than I believe Halifax could build a major 25,000 seat, steel made stadium with open endzones for 85 to 100 million but now like you said with the PPP Canada fund, Halifax should be looking to build their CommonWealth stadium, Fenwick if you want to see the Nussli`s bowl modular stadium please let me know

[fenwick16]

Wespidel, yes please post it here or send a private message to me showing the design. The Hardman Group and Ocean Steel/Strescon in the Maritimes could build a permanent stadium of steel and concrete.

I wonder if the Nussli stadium is only meant to be a short term solution? Such a stadium isn't what I had hoped for, since they primarily make temporary stadiums.

[brettinhalifax]

account deleted

[c-way-dude]

I can't see the point of spending money on a temporary stadium. Moncton has about $20 million invested in their stadium, so why should Halifax invest $20 million for a stadium that would only last for 5 years. It wouldn't even provide a solution for St. Marys, let alone get the city any closer to a CFL team. If this is just so the city can host a handful of FIFA Women's soccer matches, then let Moncton have them.

[-Harlington-]

I was walking in Dartmouth yesterday and i realized that i have a new favorite location if it can fit
right under the bridge to the right while facing Halifax there is a huge empty unkept field
i know the city probably has there heart set on Dartmouth crossing, Shannon park or exhibition park but i think under the bridge would be a great closer location,
so yeah just throwin that out there, aha
and i also agree that it needs to be a permanent structure or whats the point.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

I was walking in Dartmouth yesterday and i realized that i have a new favorite location if it can fit
right under the bridge to the right while facing Halifax there is a huge empty unkept field
i know the city probably has there heart set on Dartmouth crossing, Shannon park or exhibition park but i think under the bridge would be a great closer location,
so yeah just throwin that out there, aha
and i also agree that it needs to be a permanent structure or whats the point.

I believe that land is actually owned by DND so it might be difficult to aquire. Though it really does seem like a wasted parcel and I doubt there is much in the way of future plans for it.

[Wishblade]

Also, and article from the CH today. Seems Mayor Kelly is still on the ball with this:


Mayor goes to bat for stadium project at home, in Toronto
Kelly meets with potential investors, builder
By Our Staff
Sat, Jan 29 - 10:02 AM

Last month, Mayor Peter Kelly said he had "very preliminary" talks with local business people about potential private sector support for a proposed sports stadium in metro.

The mayor was also out of town talking to the vice-president of a firm that builds modular stadiums and arenas of various sizes and styles, he said Friday.

Kelly said he met with the executive from Nussli Group at an airport hotel in Toronto several weeks ago.

The mayor said Nussli’s stadiums, which have been built around the globe, can be custom-designed and made with or without covered areas.

Asked about cost, Kelly said it depends on the seating capacity.

"It ranges from around $1,300 a seat up to about $2,800 a seat," the mayor told The Chronicle Herald.

Kelly said time will tell if the preliminary talks he had with private sector interests in December bear fruit.

"That information, from (those talks), has been forwarded on to (municipal) staff for their review and will be (used) in their report back to council," said Kelly.

According to a report this week in The Globe and Mail, the Harper government is considering using unspent funds from a stash of more than $1 billion from the 2008 budget to help build sports venues without dishing out new money.

The problem with tapping into the funds, managed by a Crown corporation and designed for projects with other governments and the private sector, is the rules forbid spending cash on facilities primarily used for pro sports, the newspaper said.

The Globe said the program "is deemed, at this point, to be the most likely source of federal funding for stadiums and hockey arenas."

Quebec City officials are hoping to have a modern arena built there and proponents in Regina are eyeing a new football stadium for the Roughriders of the CFL. Hamilton city council is looking to renovate Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Halifax city hall’s stadium inquiries have come and gone over the years — hooked to such proposed endeavours as the Commonwealth Games and a Canadian Football League franchise — but this time the pursuit might be more timely.

The Canadian Soccer Association is hoping to land an international tournament in this country and at least six cities would be needed to play host.

Events Nova Scotia is covering a $25,000 non-refundable fee for an official bid from Halifax.

Even if the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup never comes to metro, regional council’s endorsement of efforts to make it a host city may finally get the ball rolling on a sports stadium here, supporters have said.

If Ottawa is going to fund arenas and sports stadiums with unused money from its 2008 budget, "then our timing might be good timing," Kelly said.

[fenwick16]

Thanks for the link Wisblade. I am starting to feel very optimistic about a Halifax area stadium. Cheers to Mayor Kelly and the other councillors such as Councillor Sloane, Councillor Hendsbee, Councillor Fisher and Councillor Blumenthal who have shown their support for a stadium. I am sure that there are several other councillors who support a stadium. I can hardly wait for the renderings to be released by the city.

PS: Here is the link to the story - http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1...#comment-24552 . There are only 2 comments so far (plus mine which hasn't been posted yet). I consider the lack of comments to be a good sign. If it referred to the convention centre then the usual naysayers would have already posted numerous comments against. Maybe the naysayers will give the stadium a pass (just some wishful thinking).

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

I was walking in Dartmouth yesterday and i realized that i have a new favorite location if it can fit
right under the bridge to the right while facing Halifax there is a huge empty unkept field
i know the city probably has there heart set on Dartmouth crossing, Shannon park or exhibition park but i think under the bridge would be a great closer location,
so yeah just throwin that out there, aha
and i also agree that it needs to be a permanent structure or whats the point.

Which bridge?

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

I was walking in Dartmouth yesterday and i realized that i have a new favorite location if it can fit
right under the bridge to the right while facing Halifax there is a huge empty unkept field
i know the city probably has there heart set on Dartmouth crossing, Shannon park or exhibition park but i think under the bridge would be a great closer location,
so yeah just throwin that out there, aha
and i also agree that it needs to be a permanent structure or whats the point.

Are you talking about here or here?

[-Harlington-]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Are you talking about here or here?

Well both are really under used lots but more so the one by the water for a stadium, the one closer to the street looked bigger from the street but not as much from the air but still should be developed
unless the one by the water is owned by DND i see it as an ideal spot for a stadium given the amenities and other options there are

[-Harlington-]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Which bridge?

the Macdonald bridge

[Jstaleness]

As far as I know Sobeys and NSLC are supposed to be doing something with the second lot. This what I was told by one of the NSLC employees anyway.

[hfx_chris]

There may be issues with a stadium being that close to the bridge...

[JustinMacD]

Interview with Peter Kelly coming up on CBC news regarding stadium.