Halifax Stadium Discussion

[CoachJVan]

I looked at Lamar University Stadium (google it please) and a lot of things I like about it. It seats 16k, can be expanded to 30k, along with expanding the suites the length of the grand stand or build a building for suites, boxes, offices, with the press booth, and coaching boxes placed on top. I am not a fan of the close walkways under the stadium but that can be fixed. Stands in the concept of the grand stand can be placed in each end zone putting it between 27k and 30k. Just a thought.

[q12]

Anyone know the gist of the story on AllNS titled "CFL Likes Stadium Plan"?

[Keith P.]

Ooh, top-secret stuff going on behind the scenes! Nobody let anything slip out until after the election!!!

[ILoveHalifax]

I figured the stadium subject would come up again at election time and somebody will be making all kinds of comments about how close Halifax is to finally getting a CFL team. Here it is and as soon as the election is over I don't expect to hear anything about it until next election time.

[Hali87]

It seems to not really be a priority right now. Also wasn't there some sort of private consortium that was putting together a plan or something? Did anything ever happen with that?

[isaidso]

By the time Halifax builds a football stadium half the people in Nova Scotia will have passed away.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Hali87

It seems to not really be a priority right now. Also wasn't there some sort of private consortium that was putting together a plan or something? Did anything ever happen with that?

The gist of the story mentioned earlier by q12 is that said consortium, led by businessman Don Gardiner, is moving forward. Gardiner, according to ANS, met last week with CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge, where he got "encouraging signals" of interest in CFL expansion to Halifax.

According to the story, a figure of $140 million was discussed for a stadium to seat 20,000-25,000 people. Gardiner and his group, including engineering giant EllisDon, are proposing a facility that would be largely financed by private capital but would still be looking at up to 30% public financing.

Sites in Dartmouth Crossing and somewhere closer to Stanfield International were mentioned.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

The gist of the story mentioned earlier by q12 is that said consortium, led by businessman Don Gardiner, is moving forward. Gardiner, according to ANS, met last week with CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge, where he got "encouraging signals" of interest in CFL expansion to Halifax.

According to the story, a figure of $140 million was discussed for a stadium to seat 20,000-25,000 people. Gardiner and his group, including engineering giant EllisDon, are proposing a facility that would be largely financed by private capital but would still be looking at up to 30% public financing.

Sites in Dartmouth Crossing and somewhere closer to Stanfield International were mentioned.

Won't happen. Someone wants HRM council to pony up $40 million for a stadium - laughable.

[Halifaxns]

Originally Posted by Colin May

Won't happen. Someone wants HRM council to pony up $40 million for a stadium - laughable.

I suspect that City Council would ask the province to help fund this as it would be a net benefit to the entire economy. Who knows, even the Federal government could help out. Don't assume that the city would be stuck with full remaining costs.

[c-way-dude]

Did the city not set aside $20 million for a potential stadium 2 or 3 years ago?

[c-way-dude]

Originally Posted by c-way-dude

Did the city not set aside $20 million for a potential stadium 2 or 3 years ago?

This was what I was referring to:
http://cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...dium-1.1040340

I realize that was the previous mayor and council, and that money is long gone. My point is that if the city was willing to invest $20 million in that stadium, it should invest that much, if not more, in a $140 million CFL-calibre stadium in which private investors are offering to pay 70% of the cost.

[hoser111]

Originally Posted by c-way-dude

This was what I was referring to:
http://cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...dium-1.1040340

I realise that was the previous mayor and council, and that money is long gone. My point is that if the city was willing to invest $20 million in that stadium, it should invest that much, if not more, in a $140 million CFL-calibre stadium in which private investors are offering to pay 70% of the cost.

The $$$ seem to be lumped into a fund with other projects such as police station, fire services training, commuter rail, etc.... There's $27.5M in there at the moment. A drop in the bucket considering those heavy priced tagged items.

Search for Q126:
http://www.halifax.ca/budget/documen...gBook16-17.pdf

[c-way-dude]

Originally Posted by hoser111

The $$$ seem to be lumped into a fund with other projects such as police station, fire services training, commuter rail, etc.... There's $27.5M in there at the moment. A drop in the bucket considering those heavy priced tagged items.

Search for Q126:
http://www.halifax.ca/budget/documen...gBook16-17.pdf

Thanks

[c-way-dude]

Any opinions on how changes to council resulting from the election could affect the stadium issue?

[dtown]

My guess is that nothing will change as far as government support goes. Our best chance is still a private proposal that may or may not still be in the works.

[Keith P.]

Mike Savage and HRM are in full-speed-ahead spending mode now. If there are a few spare millions kicking around after building bike lanes to Timbuktu, look for Savage Stadium to become reality.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by c-way-dude

Any opinions on how changes to council resulting from the election could affect the stadium issue?

Yes. Kiss that idea goodbye.
There will be new priorities, not that a stadium was anywhere near a priority but now I would put it at about 101st on a list of 100.
Savage had an easy ride for 4 years and Mosher is gone and Walker had a near death experience. Many more bike lanes are on tap.
Rankin voted for every development and with Zurawski big on the environment he may well be the opposite of Rankin. Hendsbee needs allies for projects in his district and he now has 2 less and therefore will have to find replacements.
I think the power balance has shifted. Deal making is the order of the day.

[TheNovaScotian]

You may in your usual distaste for the idea think it is dead but i believe that this time it has gained enough traction that a few new faces that aren't opposed to the idea and a good private proposal that limits the public exposure could make it work. It's all about a good business case that gets all its ducks in a row.
It's more of a eventuality and the question is more of when? Savage seemed pretty warm to the idea and wants to be that mayor that is there when Halifax makes the leap to a true metropolitan city with the basic infrastructure like a stadium, rapid transit system, good central library, convention spaces, and healthy downtown core that people actually live in. All I'm saying is this city is due for more infrastructure and this is one of the missing pieces.

[sneakyzero]

Pro soccer league wants to include Halifax

https://www.localxpress.ca/local-spo...halifax-483627

The top official with a new Canadian pro soccer league, planned for a 2018 start in several major Canadian cities, was in Halifax Wednesday for talks with those behind a proposed local franchise.

December 7, 2016
by: Chris Cochrane

The top official with a new Canadian pro soccer league, planned for a 2018 start in several major Canadian cities, was in Halifax Wednesday for talks with those behind a proposed local franchise.

Halifax-based sports promotion firm Sports & Entertainment Atlantic president Derek Martin met with veteran international pro soccer executive Paul Beirne, who is handling early duties for the fledgling Canadian Premier League.

Sports & Entertainment Atlantic expects to be the chief owner of a Halifax franchise.

There has been talk in Canadian soccer circles for several months regarding a new pro league that would be charged with the task of helping to better develop and grow soccer in Canada.

The intention is for the Canadian Premier League to be much more in step with the goals of the Canadian Soccer Association than present pro leagues operating on this continent such as the North American Soccer League, Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League.

“Our primary purpose is the development and improvement for the Canadian player and the Canadian game,” said Beirne. “We have 800,000 registered players across the country. There are loads of kids playing at a very high level. But we are missing the top of the pyramid. That peak would be our own domestic league.”

There are reports that, aside from Halifax, Hamilton, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg are each being courted for league entry. Beirne wouldn’t speculate on the lineup yet, except for Halifax, but said the early goal is to start with six to eight pro teams from coast to coast.

The Canadian Premier League intentions sound similar to the CFL, with a heavy emphasis on making a place for Canadian talent to develop. After mediocre performances on the world stage in recent years, there’s a growing cry to strengthen the Canadian men’s soccer program.

“One of the reasons they've identified (for the underachieving state of Canadian men’s soccer internationally) is we do not have a professional league in Canada that can generate grassroots development to give kids something they can aspire to that they can make,” said Martin. “The tangible goal is they want to see Canada perform better on the global stage. To get there they have to create better players. To create better players, they have to give them something to aspire to do."

Martin likes the fit.

"This gives us an opportunity to play on that stage as national players but in a much more right-sized, reasonable format,” he said. “The plans for this league would be budgets around 6,000 to 8,000 fans per game. I'd always said that's the right size for Halifax. We've proven it for the Mooseheads and with the University Cup. When you start planning for events over 10,000 the numbers don't work. Our population can't sustain that."

The team would require a new stadium or huge refurbishing of an existing structure. Martin said he hopes a small stadium can be built in the downtown area, where it could serve a role similar to Scotiabank Centre as a sports entertainment focal point in the entire community.

His group is already eyeing a familiar downtown sporting landmark.

"We've talked to the city about the opportunity to do it at the Wanderers Grounds. We have to make a good case to the city why this is a good idea. We've already got plans for an 8,000-seat stadium on that site with the ability to expand.

"The stadium has to be downtown because then it’s an economic driver for the city. We view the outdoor stadium as the outdoor version of Scotiabank Centre. It (Wanderers Grounds) is two blocks away from the entertainment district."

The push should gain support once the public becomes aware that Sport & Entertainment Atlantic, at this point, hopes to finance the project without government funding.

“Sports and Entertainment would own the franchise and we're in discussions now with investors and potential ownership candidates to join the group,” said Martin. “We're trying to do this very much as our own enterprise.

“We’d like to do this without going to government for money. I know there are other priorities (for government spending). We’re saying we’ll get a tenant first and the opportunity first, then look at building the facility around it. We’ll build the right sized stadium based on the demand for it.”

Martin said he’s reluctant to talk cost, until more details of the proposed league become known. But the intention is to build a very modest temporary stadium “in the few million dollar range” that can be expanded if needed.

"It would be about 15 home games a year,” he said of the Canadian Premier League use from late April to November. He said once there was a proper facility other sports, such as rugby and outdoor lacrosse, could be played there and other sporting events brought to the city.

Like many in Halifax, Martin believes it’s time for the city to add another high profile team that’s right for this market.

“We're not an NHL city or a major league city, we aren't the right size. But something like this we can do really well. This is the right team, the right time, at the right place."

[q12]

^Well this is an interesting development. Having a Canadian Premier League soccer team in Halifax could prove very popular.

I would think it would make more sense for the private soccer group to get together with the private stadium proposal to build a stadium than can be used by both a pro-football and pro-soccer franchise. A slightly smaller version of BMO field in Toronto would be a good model.


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