Canada Stadium News

[Joe MacCarthy]

Early days, but it looks as if Canada's only major seating capacity stadium (Edmonton) with a turf surface may be looking at an artificial alternative.

http://i2.tinypic.com/qoso4l.jpg

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edmonton/2006/03/03/1471216-sun.html

Although there will be no change this year, LeLacheur admits the sacred grass field at Commonwealth Stadium could be replaced with innovative field turf similar to Clarke Stadium's surface in the future.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Bombers desperate for a new stadium. Business groups would prefer downtown location

Scott Taylor, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/sports/story.html?id=ea54296c-2725-481b-bcc2-81efffbde7f7&k=11488

WINNIPEG - Nearly 15 months ago, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers commissioned a feasibility study into the construction of a new football stadium. The study should be released any day. In the meantime, insiders at City Hall say the study is likely to recommend a new stadium be built at a 170-acre site in St. Boniface known as "The Old Canada Packers Site."

The Bombers are desperate for a new home. Fifty-four-year-old Winnipeg Stadium has seen better days (20 years ago, it had seen better days). It is generally agreed that without a new park, the Bombers will have trouble keeping up with the rest of the CFL.

http://i2.tinypic.com/qou5iw.jpg

At first it was thought the new stadium should be built at the Red River Exhibition site, near the Assiniboia Downs racetrack west of the city. But according to an assistant to Mayor Sam Katz, businesspeople would be more interested in investing in a stadium closer to downtown. Downtown sites have worked for hockey's Manitoba Moose and baseball's Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The only problem with the Canada Packers site is that three other groups are also lobbying for the property -- the city's public works department wants to build a work site, Roseau River First Nations wants to build an urban reserve and City Councillor Franco Magnifico and the Manitoba Sports Federation want to build an "amateur sports campus."

Considering that speed skaters are consistently Winnipeg's best athletes, the city might want to build an indoor oval right beside the new football stadium.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Wednesday, February 01, 2006
A Nouvelle Stadium for les Bombers Bleus?
http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2006/02/nouvelle-stadium-for-les-bombers-bleus.html

Awright, skip the dog-and-pony show. The Blue Bombers have some new coaches. Blah blah blah.

Don't you want to know what happened to their big plans for a fancy new stadium?

Hold onto your hats.

More than a year ago the Bombers were beating the drums for a "destination complex" near Headingley which, they said, would include a 30,000 seat "climate-enhanced and expandable" football stadium, a 250 room hotel, a 40,000 square foot water park and a shiny new 200,000 square foot exhibition facility.

http://i2.tinypic.com/qow2n9.jpg

The idea, they said, was to have everything fit neatly in one large circular-shaped configuration around the football field. The cost of the extravaganza was guesstimated at about $165 million, give or take.

It was all going to be built on 450-acres of land known as Red River Exhibition Park, just off Portage Avenue West, near the perimeter. It would still technically be within Winnipeg city limits, even though well past the Perimeter Highway.

A quarter-of-a-million dollar feasibility study was commissioned to nail down the numbers and to jump-start the project. Estimated time-of-arrival: spring or summer of 2005.
... which turned into Fall, 2005
... then Winter, 2005
... and then
... silence.

Well, we can tell you the feasibility study exists. And it says the project is--- to quote the immortal words of the Mauro Report on a new arena for the lamented Winnipeg Jets---do-able. Sorta.

The bean-counters say the three-legged beast can walk. Remember, the planners said they were depending on the synergy of the project to give it life. Individually, a hotel, a stadium and a water-park are money-losers, even at the Red River Ex site. Only together can they support one another enough to make the plan work.

Feasibility is one thing. The kicker is getting the damn thing built in the first place.

The cost has climbed into the red seats, hovering in the range of $200 million. Who, exactly, is going to come up with that kind of money is something the study doesn't say.

The cost shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The hotel end of the deal is supposed to be privately financed by Canad Inns. But they've had a devil of a time getting another hotel project off the ground in Grand Forks in part because costs keep going up and up. The last time they delayed they said the price of concrete and steel was skyrocketing and they needed time to find more financial backing.

Hmm. A stadium... Concrete. Steel. Uh oh.

And there's still a lot of jockeying going on about the football stadium itself. There's a strong "dome" faction that wants more than a field that's just protected against the wind.

But a dome means more money. And money means politics above and beyond the board room.

Already the Bombers have a hint that a new stadium proposal will not be smooth sailing. In fact, that's a big reason the feasibility study is still in limbo.

Powerful people aren't happy about giving government money to a facility that appears to benefit Headingley more than Winnipeg, and which stands a good chance of sucking convention activity out of the heart of the city.

And that's why a new suitor is whispering sweet nothings into the ears of the Blue Bombers board.

That's right, gossip mongers. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are cheating on the Red River Ex.

Right now they are considering another offer.
One with synergy.
One that would see a new stadium (dome or no dome) built closer to downtown.
One that wouldn't threaten the Convention Centre.

Who's talking to the Bombers? We can't tell you. We don't know.

So, let's guess together.We hear that the newest proposal will provide a revenue stream that the Red River Ex can't, and that it will be located at a popular site which will win approval from major backers. Which leads us to winnow out the candidates.

1) The planned Asper Human Rights Museum fits the bill but a stadium requires more land than is available at the Forks. Scratch that.

2) If the stadium complex isn't going to compete with the Convention Centre anymore, that may be a clue it will be built in proximity to the Convention Centre downtown. Remember the idea floated by Mayor Sam about a waterpark ? Well so did we... it sounds tempting but again, the lack of oodles of land to build the stadium on seems to eliminate downtown as a locale.

Which leads us to the question, where in the city is there a large tract of land, ripe for development, full of synergy and on-going revenue potential?

Well here's one clue: If your proposal to build a Government House for First Nations had been scooped, what would you want to take it's place on YOUR urban reserve? Would a new stadium at the Canada Packers site be a good consolation?

Step right up, Terry Nelson. And while you're at it, bring along local developers Joe Paletta and Joe Bova.

The Joes have already announced plans for a $70 million recreation complex at the Canada Packers site, to include hockey rinks, speed-skating ovals, rock-climbing walls, golf practice fields, a skateboarding park, bike paths and 18 outdoor soccer fields, and indoor pitches.

A big league football field would be a nice neighbour. Or better yet, a big brother.

Both sides of these individual Canada Packers developments are smarting after recent setbacks.

Nelson was primed to create the first Urban reserve in Winnipeg until the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs closed their own deal to build a $60-million government building near Polo Park Shopping Centre. This left Terry Nelson with an alleged pile o' cash set aside for a government house, and a slice of land at Marion and Archibald with no monument structure.

Paletta, meanwhile, had seen his own hotel/waterpark proposal for Headingley, called Northern Riviera, evaporate. The $35 million project was supposed to break ground this summer on land adjacent to the Red River Exhibition grounds and in competion with the Canad Inns/Red River Ex waterpark. However, one of the principle investors died, and with him his European money connections, leaving Paletta scrambling to find a new partner.

In the middle of this marriage of convenience is the city councillor for the area, Franco Magnifico, who had already lobbied for Western Diversification Funding and who told the media that the Bova/Paletta recreation park ( a campus, he calls it) will be financially self-sustaining once it's built.

Can we expect Coun. Magnifico to suit up for the ceremonial kickoff at the new Italo-First Nations Stadium, home of the Big Blue?

Quick. Somebody pinch us.

[toronto_soccer]

field turf is actually great to play on, having played on it recently i can now see why it is the way of the future for soccer.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Ex-Packers' site eyed as Bomber home
By ROSS ROMANIUK -- Winnipeg Sun
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2006/03/25/1505297-sun.html

A new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers could rise at St. Boniface's former meat-processing site if the CFL franchise decides to construct a new facility, the team's president says.

Lyle Bauer says the 171-acre Public Markets -- former home to a Canada Packers plant and other processors -- is under consideration as a potential stadium site as the team eyes a few locations for its home for the decades ahead.

"That is one site that's been bantered around, but there are no definitive plans," Bauer told the Sun, pointing out that a consultant's study has yet to conclude that it's feasible to tackle a new park.

Coun. Franco Magnifico (St. Boniface) says he's eager to examine possible recreation projects for the land, after he and his colleagues decided this week to move a planned public works yard to another location.

Bauer says the expansive tract "that Franco has been pushing" for sports or recreation is large enough, with 171 acres, for the size of stadium the club needs.

"There's lots of room there," Bauer added, citing the relatively cramped Maroons Road lot holding Canad Inns Stadium -- the Bombers' home for the past half-century.

"We're on 25 acres right now."

There's no guarantee, however, that the franchise will propose a new facility once the feasibility report is completed, likely in the next two to three weeks. Bauer and government officials -- who would have to dig into the public purse to ante up tens of millions of dollars to contribute to a new stadium's cost -- have repeatedly stressed that the report might call for an upgrade of the 30,000-seat Polo Park stadium.

Mayor Sam Katz isn't saying which way he's leaning on a stadium or the former Packers property. But he adds that council's move to declare the site as "surplus" presents many possibilities.

OPEN FOR IDEAS

"It's open for all sorts of potential ideas. This may be one of 22," he said of building a stadium. "I'm looking forward to them sharing that feasibility study with me."

The Bombers joined the Doer government and Canad Corp. in December 2004 in floating a potential stadium, convention and hotel project priced at more than $150 million. The announcement kicked off the consultants' studies for a project that was then pitched for a tract adjacent to Red River Exhibition Park along the west Perimeter Highway.

Bauer refused to speculate on the Bombers' chances of making a play for the St. Boniface property.

"The feasibility study will come out and make a determination," he said.

"Do the concept and business plan work? If so, the next step would be where it would go. And where do you get the dough from? Those are the big questions."

[Joe MacCarthy]

For the Riders, millions; for the Esks ...
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON -- Edmonton Sun
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edmonton/2006/06/25/1652509-sun.html

Unlike the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Edmonton Eskimos aren't expecting a multimillion-dollar gift to fall in their lap any time soon.

The Riders will receive $3.75 million over the next 10 years for the naming rights to their facility, which is now called Mosaic Stadium instead of Taylor Field.

But the Eskimos don't appear to be in a position to benefit from a similar windfall.

A few years ago a company was somewhat interested in paying to rename Commonwealth Stadium, but that talk didn't last long.

"City council made a policy decision (back then) that Commonwealth Stadium would not be available for naming rights," said Eskimo president Rick LeLacheur. "So, we haven't really looked at anything (lately)."

But there could be a major change inside Commonwealth Stadium before the turn of the decade.

LeLacheur believes there's perhaps a "50-50" chance the grass surface will be replaced by field turf, which is the same artificial surface at Clarke Stadium.

"I think I want to see one more winter and try to get another test on clearing (the field turf) at Clarke Stadium and seeing what it's like (for footing)," said LeLacheur, outlining what the next step is on the Eskimos' decision chart.

Footing appears to be the main issue in the decision process. The club wants to know: How slick would a field-turf surface be after clearing snow from the field?

A TESTING GROUND

The Eskimos have the luxury of using Clarke Stadium as a testing ground before making a landmark decision on Commonwealth Stadium.

"We didn't really given it a real test (at Clarke) this year because we didn't really get any snow until January," remembered LeLacheur. "So, by then everything (with our team) was shut down. We didn't get an opportunity to grade it or sweep it - which we would have to do at Commonwealth."

For years, other teams have complained about the league's only grass field inside the Eskimos' house, citing the Green and Gold's advantage for choosing proper shoes.

But there is the flip side of the coin that really affects both teams: the grass field can become a skating rink in the fall and incredibly slippery in the rain.

"The players like the mindset advantage of the grass," continued LeLacheur. "At the same time, they really like the new turf (at Clarke) for the footing."

OTHER EVENTS

The team used Clarke for camp this spring.

If the Eskimos decide this fall/winter to move to field turf at Commonwealth, City of Edmonton administrators must be involved.

"If we have turf in there, what does that do to other events?" explained LeLacheur. "For example, I don't think you can have rugby on (field turf) surface."

That means the Churchill Cup would be scrambling for a new venue. But it appears major soccer events could still be held.

"On this new field turf, FIFA has approved every event except the World Cup," continued the Eskimos' COO.

SHORT YARDAGE: LeLacheur doesn't have all of the cost estimates for switching surfaces, but knows there are pros and cons.

The initial hit to put in the turf could run close to $3 million.

The surface at Clarke cost about $2.5 million when installation was complete, but there is a massive sprinkler system that would have to be ripped up under the existing Commonwealth grass.

While maintenance costs would almost disappear with an artificial surface at the main stadium, there's a hitch.

"You would need some sort of fund to replace it because it would probably last eight to 10 years," LeLacheur estimated.

SIDELINES: Construction inside Commonwealth Stadium on the north end zone area will likely start next month.

The fence by the scoreboard will be moved to the property line at 111 Avenue, hopefully eliminating the bottleneck of pedestrian traffic by the Jumbotron.

Gate 9 on the northeast corner - which handles about 65% of the traffic - will also be expanded with washrooms being added in the area. Construction will last until the fall.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Asper proposes a new $120M stadium
Bomber board's initial reaction favourable
Ed Tait Sun Jan 14 2007
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/3842721p-4446277c.html

http://i11.tinypic.com/2dqnh4o.jpg
The architect's conception of the proposed new stadium, which would be built on the Polo Park site.

Youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCH3iBQsysg

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have in their hands a $165-million business proposal that could provide the franchise with both long-term financial stability and a new state-of-the-art stadium.
http://www.blueandgold.ca/

The one caveat is this: the club’s board of directors would have to hand over the keys to the team — for 76 years a community-owned operation — to Winnipeg business mogul David Asper.

The Bomber 11-member board of directors gathered at their Maroons Road offices Sunday afternoon for an hour-long sales pitch from Asper’s team and then deliberated behind closed doors for close to 70 minutes afterward.

And when they emerged it was apparent the first reaction was nothing but positive. While stressing they will examine the proposal closely over the next few weeks and are committed to listening to their fans in the process, Bomber chairman of the board Ken Hildahl was also admittedly impressed.

“It does have some obvious merit from our perspective,” said Hildahl of the Asper proposal. “One of the things we’ve looked at over the last two to three years as we developed our vision, our concept of what we needed to move forward, is contained within that proposal. (The proposal) fits with the vision that our board has worked on over the last three-four-five years and it has some merit.

“We all saw it for what it is: it’s a very spectacular proposal.”

With accountants, architects and consultants at his side, Asper laid out a plan that would see $65 million of his own money — $40 million towards a new $120-million stadium and another $25 million earmarked for an on-site retail/commercial component — contributed to a project estimated to total $165 million.

Under his plan, both the federal and provincial governments would contribute $40 million with that investment, like that of the MTS Centre, paid back in less than seven years from taxes generated by the construction and retail operations.

On Sunday, Asper also launched a website outlining all aspects of his proposal — www.blueandgold.ca.

Interestingly, the Bombers chose Sunday to showcase some of their own architectural designs on their website www.bluebombers.com.

And while the potential end result of the proposals are essentially the same — a new facility and revenue streams for a team that has for years struggled to remain in the black financially — the difference is Asper’s does come with a substantial financial commitment.

As a result, the executive vice-president of CanWest Global Communications figures that commitment is vital in the Bomber board of directors’ decision to switch from community to private ownership.

“My view is that with the level of this kind of investment, it’s fair for me to expect a reasonable return on that investment,” Asper said.

“I fully expect people will disagree with the concept of taking it private. That’s fine. Everybody’s entitled to their view. When you see the vision of the community engagement that I see for this football team... I hope people will see I’m serious about this and I’m very serious that this club stay connected to the community. And, in some ways, more than it can be right now because it can be properly capitalized.”

Fans could stroll down a Blue Bomber Hall of Fame Walk.

“That’s an issue,” Hildahl said later. “The board has a position that we’re very much supportive of public ownership. But, obviously, when you look at a proposal of this magnitude — and potentially any other offers that come forward — as a board, we have the responsibility to look at those on behalf of the fans that we represent.”

Hildahl indicated the football club will solicit proposals and expressions of interest from other possible investors but that, to date, no one has stepped forward but Asper.

“There’s been some tire-kickers in the past,” said Hildahl. “At this point we don’t have any firm proposals. But we’re hoping with the expression of interest that may generate some excitement. If it doesn’t, then we certainly have a very interested party and a person who has brought a very exciting proposal to the table.

“We’re going to take the time to make sure the right decision is made. We’re going to move forward. We’re not going to shelve this and put it on the back burner.”

Asper did not say whether his proposal has a deadline, but it’s rumoured he has given the Bombers roughly three months to give the thumbs up or down to the plan. If accepted, he would ask current club president and CEO Lyle Bauer to stay and lead the project while the current board of directors would lead a new ‘Blue Bomber Touchdown Foundation’, a permanent charity to support community projects.

“My concern is and the concern I expressed with the group, irrespective of any timelines, is we would like to try and play in 2008 in a new facility,” said Asper. “In order to do that we’ve got to get going on it. That’s not just a matter of luxury, that’s a matter of costs. Construction costs and the availability of labour is extremely tight. The longer this goes on, the greater the risk of cost escalation. And that’s to the detriment of the tax payer and the view of the private investors.”

Grey Cup Championship first down markers would be on display.

The stadium

http://i11.tinypic.com/4cnhu08.jpg

Location: Essentially the same as the current facility, Canad Inns Stadium, although the West side grandstand would now adjunct St. James Avenue with parking and the retail/commercial development on the East side, facing Empress Street.

Seating: 30,000-40,000; partially covered.

Amenities: 24 private suites; 13 concession areas; 'Bomber Fan Fare' transit terminal; main entrance would face north on St. Matthews Avenue; Blue Bomber Hall of Fame Walk to honour players and builders; Blue Bomber interactive sculptures to honour the franchise and its great players; 'True Blue' fan interactive sculptures celebrating the team's diehard supporters; virtual advertising ring outside the stadium; JumboTrons at both north and south ends.

Parking: Plans call for a 2,100-space, two-floor parkade on-site as well as ground-level spaces on the East side between the stadium and proposed retail development.

Traffic flow: The designs call for the construction of an overhead exit ramp that would take traffic over St. James Street west toward Ness Avenue via an extension of St. Matthews Avenue.

The timeline: Phase 1: Construction would begin on the new West side immediately, without interruption to the current facility during 2007 CFL season.

Phase 2: After the '07 season, the existing East side and playing surface would be demolished to make way for the new grandstand. Stadium would then be ready for the opening of the 2008 CFL season.

Phase 3: Commercial and retail development to begin on East side facing Empress Street in 2008.

OWNERSHIP MODELS

COMMUNITY VERSUS PRIVATE

Background: The community-owned Winnipeg Football Club began operation in 1930 following the amalgamation of the teams in the Manitoba Rugby Union. It has been community-owned in the 76 years since.

HOW THE BOMBERS MAKE MONEY NOW

In the team's last financial statement (for the year 2005), the Bombers spent $6.6 million on football operations (player/coach salaries, scouting etc.), $2.56 million on marketing and administration and $1.03 million on stadium occupancy.

Those expenses were offset by $3.7 million in ticket revenue; $1.1 million from the Canadian Football League; $4.23 million in revenue generated from corporate sponsorships and $385,436 from stadium management. The team also generated $290,312 from community support and fundraising.

Bottom line: a loss of $480,094.

HOW THE BOMBERS WOULD MAKE MONEY UNDER ASPER'S PLAN

The revenue from game-day would likely increase from the interest in a new facility; CFL revenues are to boost with increase corporate sponsorship and a new TV deal; other revenue -- corporate sponsorship, merchandising, etc. -- would expected to be at least the same.

The commercial/real estate component could be worth a ton given the traffic that flows through the Polo Park area, but is difficult to put a value on not knowing lease agreements and who the tenants are may be.

Katz feels Asper's plan can become a reality

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz says he’s intrigued by David Asper’s plan to build a new $120-million football stadium and develop private team ownership for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.

The plan reportedly calls for an injection of $40 million of Asper’s own money toward a new facility on the existing Canad Inns Stadium site, $40 million from each of the federal and provincial governments and the donation of the land from the City of Winnipeg.

Asper unveils his plan to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ board of directors on Sunday afternoon.

“Do I see it being do-able? Obviously, it appears to me that we have someone who very much cares about the community, cares as passionately about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as anyone in the city and is financially committed and has the wherewithal,” Katz said Sunday.

“When you put those three together, there’s no doubt in my mind it can become a reality ...and it can become a reality very quickly.”

Katz said it’s premature to try and guess exactly what role city hall will play in Asper’s strategy to build a stadium in time for the 2008 season.

“Until there is an agreement between David Asper and the football club — and I assume he would then come to City of Winnipeg — only then would I listen and make decisions on what, if anything, they are looking for and how it might benefit the City of Winnipeg,” he said.

Katz agreed the Bombers need a new home to ensure the club’s long-term survival.

“I don’t think anyone will argue that the Winnipeg football stadium has basically fulfilled its economic lifespan and that for the fans’ sake, a new facility is required,” he said.

Q & A with David Asper

The back-slapping and schoomzing has been completed and he’s made his sales pitch. And now all David Asper can do is sit back and wait for a verdict on his ownership/stadium proposal from the Winnipeg Blue Bomber board of directors.

Asper met with Free Press football writer Ed Tait Sunday after meeting with the Bomber executive to speak of his immediate emotions and his plan.

FREE PRESS: What are you feeling now, some two-three hours after making your proposal? Is there a sense of relief?

ASPER: Yes, I’m very relieved. I was very nervous going in, even though everybody in that board room are friends of mine. This is a major undertaking for the community. This is a major financial undertaking for me personally. It involves a prized and beloved part of our community identity and all of those things together were weighing very heavily on me.

FREE PRESS: Wait a minute here... you’ve defended David Milgaard, worked on some other high-profile cases and closed some big-time business deals... and you were nervous for this? What made this different?

ASPER: This is more than just a business deal. This is really about the heart of our community and if I’m successful, a lot of people will be relying on me and the organization to make it a bigger heart. That makes it different.

FREE PRESS: It wouldn’t be wrong to suggest part of that nervousness is because this team is also your passion, right?

ASPER: But I can buy tickets and be a fan. This is a much bigger commitment. There’s a promise you make to the community. It’s a huge promise.

FREE PRESS: Tell us how you thought the presentation went.

ASPER: We had a good presentation and good discussion. (The Bomber board) asked some important questions. It’s hard to gauge people’s reactions. I think they understand the importance and the enormity of the situation. I wouldn’t want to try and predict their reaction, but it was a very open and positive environment.

FREE PRESS: Do you take a step back now or do you still have a sell job on your hands? How do things play out from here?

ASPER: All along this was about getting the information to the board of directors. They have to look at it and apply their best judgment to it. But I’ve also got to go back to work. I’ve got a job and when they respond we’ll deal with things at that point.

This is an idea, it’s my vision. But I’m not taking the ball and going home if they say no. When the team’s bad I still go to the games. Either you’re a fan or you’re not.

FREE PRESS: There are a lot of people out there who don’t care if the team is privately-run or community-owned. But what would you say to those who are insistent the team remain under the community-ownership model?

ASPER: I hope that what I’ve shown in the proposal is, yes it’s private ownership but it’s very community-minded private ownership. The fans can look to my personal track record in this community as well as the track record of our businesses as to how our core ethic is community-minded. Irrespective of who ultimately owns the shares of the corporation, the community in many ways will have enhanced benefits of having this proposal accepted.

It’s also always brought up that there have been all these bad owners in the CFL. I would say this: I’m not some out-of-towner, some carpet bagger who showed up and tried to pick off a sports franchise cheap. This is my hometown and I think my bona fides with my commitment to the team are there. Plus, in any business there are successes and failures. And you don’t say that because there is a failure that all private owners are failures. There’s been lots of examples of great private owners in the CFL. Look at the B.C. Lions. It’s a phenomenal turnaround in Vancouver. Same with Montreal. Toronto is building the same thing...

My commitment to the community as part of the proposal is an extension of the commitment my family has made to this community for a long time now.

FREE PRESS: This deal would seem to provide the Bombers with everything they currently seek for long-term viability: a new stadium, the outside revenue sources... why would they say, ‘No thanks’?

ASPER: They might get a better offer. But I’m in the advocacy position here. So, I guess my answer is, ‘I don’t think they should say no thanks.’

FREE PRESS: What would happen if your deal was accepted, but you decided to walk away in the next few years. Doesn’t that leave the franchise in a lurch?

ASPER: That’s the doomsday scenario. The stadium gets built, the retail gets built but then it all goes bad. Or I go broke. Or I go crazy. Or I get kidnapped. What’s the worst case? The worst case is the community has a new stadium, it has a new development at Polo Park and if I’m gone and you want to have a community-owned team, go back to the old model.

FREE PRESS: We know you’re a fan, but what it this for you financially? Obviously, this isn’t just a $40 million donation to the new stadium and $25 toward the retail development...

ASPER: We will be constructing this business to receive a fair return on the investment. That will be derived from the construction of the retail. But I do believe the integrated business model of the retail, the parking, the stadium and the football club can be a successful business on to its own.

FREE PRESS: It was suggested today that if this proposal was to be accepted, the Bombers could go from a hand-to-mouth operation forever struggling to stay in the black to becoming the New York Yankees of the CFL. What’s your reaction to that?

ASPER: (Laughing) That would make me George Steinbrenner (the Yankees’ volatile owner) and I don’t want to go there.

This is a still a business. There is a salary management system in the CFL in place. You’ve got be sane. You’ve got to have a budget and run the team like a business. But in my vision there is no doubt that will the increased capital and resources available to the football team the image and the identity and the pride that comes with being part of the Bombers is going to be something we hope is charismatic in the community and everywhere. We will create Blue Bomber Nation.

THE PROPOSAL

* Local business mogul David Asper would gain complete control of the football club in exchange for his $40 million contribution toward a new $120-million facility and on-site retail/commercial component which would begin development in 2008.

THE CAVEAT

* Details of how the public can view the plan will be released Sunday. But Asper's proposal would also call for the Bomber board to reach a decision in an expedited manner rather than have the process dragged out by weeks or months of public consultation so the team can be playing in the new facility by 2008. If accepted, construction on the new facility would begin immediately afterward.

WHAT WOULD CHANGE?

* Asper's proposal would bring to an end 76 years of community ownership and the Bombers -- in addition to the retail/commercial operation -- would then be run by a private corporation.

Currently the Bombers are run by a nine-person board of volunteer directors, which oversees the day-to-day operations handled by president and CEO Lyle Bauer.

THE POTENTIAL UPSIDE

New digs

* Football fans would watch Bomber games in a state-of-the-art facility with many of the bells and whistles baseball and hockey supporters already enjoy with CanWest Global Park and MTS Centre.

Canad Inns Stadium, the current home of the team, was built 54 years ago and needs millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades. Many fans also complain of the cramped spaces between seats in the East and West grandstands.

Financial stability

* The Bombers posted an operating loss of $480,094 in 2005 -- their first loss in five years. The club entered the 2006 season with an accumulated debt of $697,882, down significantly from the $5.4 million in 2000 that drove the franchise to the brink of bankruptcy. The debt is expected to be wiped clean when the team completes its '06 financial statement, including a $2 million to $3 million windfall from playing host to the 2006 Grey Cup.

The retail and commercial development would help provide the team with the outside revenue sources it has been seeking for years and make it less gate-dependent.

Community benefits

* Details are scarce here, but it's believed the plan would see the establishment of a 'Touchdown Foundation' to benefit amateur football in Manitoba as well as a permanent Blue Bomber hall of fame.

THE POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE

* Private ownership, as many CFL fans across the country are painfully aware, has hardly been a panacea for other franchises. Both Ottawa and Montreal have gone long stretches without CFL teams after private owners left those franchises bankrupt.

* The CFL has implemented a new salary management system for this season in a move to level the competitive playing field between private and publicly owned teams. All teams must now adhere to a $4.05 million salary cap or face fines. If it works, that would narrow the gap between public and private. Three of the eight CFL teams -- Winnipeg, Saskatchewan and Edmonton -- are community owned, the other five are private operations.

Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, it's worth noting, are also suffering through the longest championship droughts in the CFL. The Roughriders' last Grey Cup title came in 1989, the Bombers' last title came a year later.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Stadium: future?
http://www.bluebombers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=530&Itemid=235

The Winnipeg Football Club for the past five to six years has taken steps to develop a long-term strategy to ensure the financial viability and sustainability of professional football in Winnipeg.

Inherent in those deliberations has been consideration of the need for either a new or upgraded facility and the creation of additional sources of revenue for the team.

The board of directors had previously made a decision to retain architectural consultants and financial consultants with a view to preparing and delivering to interested parties a request or expression of interest relating to the development or re-development of the current stadium site.

This process was initiated several months ago and we’re pleased to present this update on the status of the project.

With the recent success of the football club both on and off the field, the time is right to consider this initiative. The football club will soon issue a call for proposals to prospective partners regarding this proposed project.

The board and management of the Winnipeg Football Club believe it’s in the best interests of the organization and its fans to work towards providing a first class facility and thereby ensure the future of Winnipeg Blue Bombers football in the community for many years to come. Listed below are details of what the proposed redevelopment might look like.

Please bear in mind, this is just one of many possible designs for a redeveloped Canad Inns Stadium.

The Winnipeg Football Club
http://i3.tinypic.com/490a0ea.jpg

Retail / Commercial / Sports venue integration
The Stadium Site re-development initiative builds on the history of the original stadium with a novel concept for an integrated commercial/retail and sports venue.

Game day excitement
The excitement of game day will build around the highly accessible and visible commercial/retail shops and the newly landscaped Stadium Plaza.

Pre-game atmosphere
Imagine walking down St. James before the big game while the teams’ warm-up exercises are projected onto giant screens mounted on surrounding buildings, or the excited crowds of early-bird fans in the many bars and restaurants flanking the new ‘Bomber Mile’ plaza.

New Luxury boxes
For those who enjoy the social atmosphere of a private box, the new development is crowned by a new commercial/retail complex and potential hotel, which will house 20 new luxury boxes.

Approach and entrance to Stadium
Approaching the stadium will be an exciting new experience. To the south, the Stadium Plaza will welcome fans with a vibrant atmosphere enhanced by the Jumbotron screen and ticket kiosks. The fans excitement will build as they ascend to the elevated secondary entrances, which present a breathtaking view of the playing field below.

Winter activities
In the winter, the playing field will be transformed into a large-scale skating rink of unequalled grandeur in Winnipeg. This location will be a beloved community meeting place during the cold months and will attract an eager crowd of shoppers and diners to the adjacent commercial venues and restaurants.

Activities during no-game days
The hotel and retail/commercial areas will be lively all-year round. Attractive shops and a wide variety of restaurants will draw visitors of all ages. Conferences, fairs, and exhibitions at the hotel may expand into the various plazas, providing for a more lively meeting experience.

Relationship of stadium and surrounding area
The stadium is integrated into the scale of the surrounding area, creating a welcoming atmosphere for potential visitors and tourists in the street.

Spectacular NEW glass roof
The beautiful new glass roof over the bleachers, extending north to south beyond the seating area, provides shelter for the plazas. Visitors will marvel at the bright, light glass and metal structure that shows off our prairie sky to its best.

Upgraded seats
The upgraded and expanded seating area will welcome up to 30,000 visitors, providing them with a comfortable and modern vista from which they can take in the game. The washroom facilities will be upgraded in a similarly modern, clean style.

Upgraded concessions
Fans will appreciate the delicious new offerings and traditional favourites at the new concession areas.

Club seating
VIP guests will gather in the expanded club-seating area, which will seat 3,000 special visitors.

State-of-the-art Video and Sound System
The avid sports fan will be greeted at the entrances by the high-quality new audio and visual systems, which are also spread throughout the stadium, ensuring the ultimate in sports excitement.

Surface parking and underground parking
Hotel, commercial/retail and stadium parking will accommodate 1,000 guests in surface and underground parking, allowing for easy arrival and departure.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Whole new stadium game
Canad Inns unveils proposal
By TAMARA KING -- Sun Media
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/04/10/3971565-sun.html

http://i11.tinypic.com/33kzltz.jpg
Canad Inns CEO Leo Ledohowski announces his proposal for a domed stadium for the Blue Bombers at the old Canada Packers site on Monday. (Sun Media/Brian Donogh)

It's game on when it comes to a new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Canad Inns CEO Leo Ledohowski unveiled his $520-million vision for the CFL team's new home in St. Boniface yesterday, which includes $55 million for redeveloping the Bombers' home in Polo Park. That bid will now go up against two other proposals, most notably a $145-million plan from media magnate David Asper for a new complex at the stadium site at Polo Park.

Ledohowski's pitch would see the construction of a $265-million covered stadium -- Canad Inns would "gift" 35 acres of land to the Bombers and the football club would own the stadium -- alongside a new hotel and waterpark at the old Canada Packers site in St. Boniface. The city agreed to sell the property to the hotel chain last week for $1 million.

Asper's concept would end the long-standing structure of community ownership, with a private corporation running the football team.

With the Canad Inns proposal, the Bombers would remain community-owned, Ledohowski said.

"This is a true 21st-century proposal which is a true public-private partnership," Ledohowski told media at a press conference yesterday.

Ledohowski's plan hinges on an $80-million handout from taxpayers, a 50/50 split between the province and Ottawa. It's the same request Asper had earlier made.

"I think if the money doesn't come from the governments, we're going to have a problem pulling this together," Ledohowski said.

Premier Gary Doer's spokesman said it's premature for the province to comment on Ledohowski's pitch.

"We are letting the Bomber board review all proposals first before commenting on any one proposal," said spokesman Jonathan Hildebrand.

Ledohowski said $90 million of financing for the St. Boniface site would come from Maroons Road. Calling it "one of the most valuable pieces of commercial property in Winnipeg," Ledohowski said the site would be converted into the "Blue Bomber Plaza, by Canad Inns," a commercial hub that would be managed by the hotel chain but owned by the football club.

'ROLL-UP TURF'

For the plaza, Ledohowski wants the city to forgive $29 million in property taxes for 15 years -- a request Mayor Sam Katz wasn't available to comment on yesterday.

With the covered complex and what Ledohowski described as "roll-up turf," the St. Boniface facility could be available year-round.

Asper, executive vice-president of CanWest Global Communications Corp. and the team's former chairman, wants to invest $65 million to construct a partially covered complex which would replace the 29,500-seat stadium. It would be developed with retail and commercial space along its Empress Street boundary.

"Both public proposals are very exciting proposals," said Bomber board boss Ken Hildahl. "Both are very credible."

There is a third bid in the running to develop a new stadium for the Bombers. It's a public/private venture from the team and a developer that has yet to be publicly revealed. Based on comments from Hildahl, the proposal is not "site specific" and, like the others, requires taxpayer dollars.

It's unclear when a decision will be made by the football club's board on which bid will be accepted. Hildahl said the stadium subcommittee is aiming to make a presentation to the board next week, and he hopes it will be weeks instead of months before they can make their pick public.

[Joe MacCarthy]

A pigskin in a poke
Canad Inns asking taxpayers to fund fuzzy proposal
By TOM BRODBECK -- Sun Media
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/04/10/3971563-sun.html

There's so little detail in yesterday's Canad Inns' proposal to build a new $265-million football stadium, it's hard to know what to think of it.

Except that, just like media mogul David Asper's $120-million stadium plan unveiled earlier this year, Canad Inns CEO Leo Ledohowski wants taxpayers to foot most of the bill.

Or at least that's what yesterday's vague proposal seems to imply.

Essentially, Ledohowski wants three things from taxpayers to make his plan work.

He wants a total of $80 million in cash upfront from the province and the federal government. He wants a $29-million tax break from the City of Winnipeg. He also wants -- and this is where it gets murky -- exclusive development and managing rights for some unspecified commercial venture where the stadium now stands. In other words, Ledohowski wants to use lucrative real estate owned by taxpayers to help pay for the cost of a new stadium.

"Excess cash flow" -- whatever that means -- from that development would provide an additional $90 million towards the cost of the stadium.

That gets us to $199 million. Supposedly, a new stadium would generate an extra $8.3 million in annual profits, raising an additional $107 million.

This is a very fuzzy proposal. And there are a lot of leap-of-faith assumptions in it.

'BLUE BOMBER PLAZA'

Canad Inns says it would build a "Blue Bomber Plaza" on the entire Maroons Road site. It would be a "commercial redevelopment" owned by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But Canad Inns would be the exclusive developer and manager of the site. That could mean anything. Who controls the profits? How much of the net revenues go into financing the new stadium?

The proposal assumes $8.3 million in new stadium profits, although it doesn't say where that revenue would come from. Very little of it would come from football games, if recent history is any indication.

The Bombers posted on-field operating losses in each of its last two years. The only reason the club ended 2006 in the black was because of Grey Cup revenues.

Even if a new domed stadium for 10 home games did generate greater ticket sales -- and it probably would -- higher revenues wouldn't be anywhere near $8.3 million.

More conventions and monster truck shows? Perhaps. But who picks up the operating losses should the stadium lose money? It doesn't say.

Canad Inns also says the proposed stadium would hold 30,000 seats, which is rather small.

The Bombers already attract 30,000 fans to some home games. Shouldn't the goal be to attract more? And what about hosting another Grey Cup? There were 45,000 fans at last year's Grey Cup in Winnipeg. Canad Inns say their proposed stadium could be expanded to 45,000 for a Grey Cup game.

A temporary, 50% seat expansion in a domed stadium? I'd like to see the drawings.

There's a lot this proposal doesn't cover, which makes it very difficult to analyze.

What we do know is the key to any successful new or refurbished stadium has to include tapping into the commercial value of where the stadium now stands.

The Blue Bombers signed a 50-year lease with the city a few years ago, giving it exclusive development rights to the land that surrounds it. Done right, that retail or other commercial development can produce enormous revenues to help pay for a new or refurbished stadium.

But it has to be a realistic proposal.

And taxpayers shouldn't be expected to pony up $80 million for a new stadium, especially when the team we're talking about is barely viable.

It just doesn't make sense.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Here are the plans ...
By SUN MEDIA
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/04/10/3971564-sun.html

LEO LEDOHOWSKI VISION

WHAT HE WANTS: To build a $265-million domed stadium at the former Canada Packers factory site in St. Boniface. The city recently agreed to sell the land to Ledohowski's hotel chain, Canad Inns, for $1 million.

WHAT HE'LL CONTRIBUTE: For the St. Boniface site, Ledohowski said he'll contribute $200 million, although $50 million would go towards a hotel and waterpark -- not the stadium itself. He's also talking about a $55-million investment to redevelop the Polo Park stadium site into an unspecified commercial venture.

WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR: Like Asper, Ledohowski wants $80 million from the provincial and federal governments. His plan also asks the city for 15 years of tax forgiveness at the old stadium site. Ledohowski said the Bombers would remain community owned.

WHAT THE STADIUM WOULD OFFER: Documents released to the media yesterday were vague on these points, but it's believed the Canad Inns pitch offers seating for 30,000 in its domed complex. Attached to the stadium would be a 200-room hotel, an indoor water park and "related amenities," according to a news release from the hotel chain.

DAVID ASPER VISION

WHAT HE WANTS: To build a $120-million stadium at the site of the existing Canad Inns Stadium. The partially covered facility would seat up to 40,000 fans.

WHAT HE'LL CONTRIBUTE: $40 million towards a new stadium and $25 million towards a two-storey commercial development with a restaurant pad. Asper said the public would own the new stadium.

WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR: The team, which has been owned by the community for 77 years and run by a non-profit organization managed by a board of directors since 1930, as well as the potentially lucrative stadium land. He also wants $40 million each from the provincial and federal governments.

WHAT THE STADIUM WOULD OFFER: Seating for up to 40,000, 13 concession stands, 24 private suites, a Blue Bombers Hall of Fame, elite fitness training facility, media centre, modern team offices, Blue Bomber retail operation, and fan interactive exhibition.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Bombers choose Asper
Football club will negotiate new stadium with media mogul
By KIRK PENTON -- Sun Media
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/05/02/4147588-sun.html

http://i17.tinypic.com/678v68w.jpg

http://i14.tinypic.com/6cwp0xx.jpg
Background info
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/3842721p-4446277c.html

http://i15.tinypic.com/6bm5aia.jpg
David Asper, vice-president of CanWest Global Communications Corp., discusses his plans for a new stadium for the Blue Bombers. (Sun Media/C. Procaylo)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are one step closer to a new stadium -- and a private owner.

The Winnipeg Football Club announced yesterday it has decided to negotiate exclusively with David Asper's Creswin Properties Ltd. to redevelop the 54-year-old stadium and surrounding area in St. James.

"This is the start of a process," WFC chairman Ken Hildahl said. "It's a negotiating process. It's not a done deal. There's still a lot of tripwires."

The WFC chose Asper's $145-million proposal over Leo Ledohowski's $520-million plan, which included a domed stadium in St. Boniface. Its ultimate goal is to make the Bombers viable in the community for generations to come and, without going into detail, Hildahl said Asper's vision met that criteria.

"It was very clear in our minds that David's proposal led us in that direction," Hildahl said.

Asper's private-public plan calls for a new $120-million stadium (which requires $80 million of public money) and $25 million worth of retail space, but it also includes his taking ownership of the club.

The Bombers have been publicly owned since their inception in 1930, so that aspect -- along with what will happen to the team generations from now -- promises to be a focal point of negotiations.

"I don't want to get into our negotiation process or our tactics, but there's certain safeguards that we need to see put in place," Hildahl said.

"Those safeguards would ensure obviously that the team remain in Winnipeg, (and) that the interest of the fan and the community are well-served." Asper, the vice-president of CanWest Global Communications Corp. and a former WFC chairman, said he isn't willing to budge on the ownership issue.

"I'm putting up $40 million of my own money, plus another $25 million against the retail," he said. "The co-investors, which would be the public, actually get a guaranteed return through tax revenue.

"My money is totally at risk. So, as an investor, I simply take the view that I need to control my business destiny.

"... I'm not sure why the board would be even talking to me if this was a serious issue."

The sides hope to have a "binding letter of intent" by the end of May, and then Asper would have to approach the federal and provincial governments for $40 million each, which could be the biggest hurdle of all.

Ledohowski, the president of Canad Corp., said he's disappointed in the board's choice, particularly in its process in evaluating the proposals.

He suggested the board members have not been as open-minded as they should have been toward his dome stadium concept, which he pointed out exists with the Alerus Center and his newest Canad Inns project -- including a water park -- in Grand Forks, N.D.

[Joe MacCarthy]

New digs for Bombers
And with it comes a new owner in David Asper
By KIRK PENTON, SUN MEDIA
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/06/23/4284607-sun.html

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Football Club has unanimously agreed to a letter of intent with David Asper on a new stadium proposal, which would effectively end 77 years of community ownership of the Blue Bombers.

Asper must now acquire $40 million from both the federal and provincial governments to put towards a new $120-million facility. If the media mogul can secure that funding and build a new stadium, he said he would also assume control of the team.

Asper is willing to put $40 million towards the stadium and another $25 million towards commercial development on the existing Polo Park site. The retail portion of the proposal would generate revenue to help Asper operate the Bombers.

"It's a very exciting time. We think we can create for the community what the baseball park (CanWest Global) created and what MTS Centre, along the same partnership model, has created for Winnipeg, and to become a beacon for a revived and rejuvenated Blue Bombers and for the Canadian Football League," he said yesterday during a media conference.

"So we're looking forward to it. There's a lot of work left to do, but it's very gratifying to be in a position to do it."

The team chose Asper's Creswin Properties Ltd. as its lone negotiating partner on May 1 and Thursday night's unanimous vote concluded six weeks of talks.

It appears the ownership details -- believed to be the biggest hurdle going into the talks -- were ironed out but WFC chairman Ken Hildahl cautioned that a final deal has not been done.

"The final deal won't get voted on until the whole package is before the board," he said.

"What we've done is agreed to take it to the next step. It's far from a done deal."

Lawyers, accountants and politicians will get to work on the funding details. No timeline has been set for those discussions, but Asper plans to make some calls next week.

Asper said if the rest of the negotiations go as planned he will wind up being the sole owner of the team.

[BoSaNsKi DiJaMaNt]

Current Vancouver Whitecaps FC Stadium (Swangard Stadium) :

http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/__shared/assets/Facilities_-_Swangard_Stadium_-_Large1526.jpg

http://www.haeblerconstruction.com/images/swangard.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/2678908987_1da02c1ea3.jpg?v=0

Future Vancouver Whitecaps FC Stadium (Waterfront) :

http://www.stadiumnow.org/Stadium_NOW!/Whitecaps_Waterfront_Stadium_in_the_Media_(2006_-_2007)_files/shapeimage_1.jpg

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/fanzone/galleries/photos/do_not_publish/images/6077/original.aspx

Whitecaps Soccer Stadium

Proposed location: Downtown Vancouver waterfront, between Canada Place and Main street
Cost of construction: About $70 million
Seating: 15,000 for soccer, with the ability to double to 30,000
Problems: Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot wants to built it right now, with his own money, but he has to go through Vancouver's glacially slow bureaucratic process.
In other cities, the stadium might already be finished; in Vancouver after two years of studies it's still probably still at least three years away.
Kerfoot originally had hoped to build it over the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, which he purchased for about $20 million in 2005. But there were objections because of dangerous goods that are sometimes on the tracks, so the site may be moved on to land owned by the Port of Vancouver, a federal body.
The Canada Marine Act states the Port can't sell the land, so it may have to arrange a land swap with Kerfoot's railway holdings to make it work.”

“Looking for more culture” (Vancouver Sun, December 8, 2007)

“The Vancouver Whitecaps had hoped to have a soccer stadium ready for 2007, but getting the bureaucratic approval has been so slow the stadium is probably at least three years away - even though team owner Greg Kerfoot has offered to pay for the stadium himself.”

“The Toronto FC soccer club plays in a new $70-million stadium, BMO Field.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Stadium (BC Place) 2011 Stadium :

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/fanzone/galleries/photos/do_not_publish/images/5303/320x225.aspx

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/files/Images/ariel.jpg

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/files/Images/whitecapstennant.jpg

If the BC Place stadium would be finished and the proposal would be accepted, then the Vancouver Whitecaps would have a stadium which would meet MLS expectations after the retractable roof and field turf would be complete with other upgrades.. This would be a great home for the Whitecaps!

[juanpabloangel]

They should build this stadium at 25-30,000 at least.... but its good to see football specific stadiums in North America

[Calif]

So which one is the one they are planning on building the Waterfront one? It looks like a pretty cool stadium having the water just so close to the stadium!