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CSA releases proposal for new stadium


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Canadian Soccer Association

Monday, July 21, 2003

CSA Releases Details On Proposed National Soccer Stadium

Toronto, Ontario – At a media conference held at the National Trade Centre at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, The Canadian Soccer Association today unveiled its plans for a new 30,000-seat, $82 million stadium complete with a FIFA Recommended artificial grass playing surface designed to ideally suit international soccer while being compatible for CFL football as well as rugby, lacrosse and other field sports. The proposed location would be at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto.

This morning, CSA has, in support of the project, submitted a complete and detailed application for financial contribution to the Government of Ontario. CSA President Andy Sharpe accompanied by FIFA Vice President Jack Warner met this morning with senior officials of the Government of Ontario and submitted a complete dossier of information related directly to this application of support. It is via the Government of Ontario as well as the Government of Canada that CSA is seeking $62.5 million in total public financial support for the project (shared equally between the provincial and federal governments).

“We are grateful to FIFA for supporting the high quality work which has occurred over the past eleven months by virtue of their financial commitment” stated CSA President Andy Sharpe. “We have stated that this project is of the utmost importance to the future of Canadian Soccer, to Canadian Sport in general and we now will shift our efforts towards convincing the public that this project must move forward now, particularly with the amount of work completed.”

FIFA Vice President Jack Warner was also in praise of the project. “With the momentum generated from this wonderful dossier of material, it is now critical that the stadium project keep moving forward and that it ultimately succeed, for the good of Canadian Soccer and for the good of our sport in this Confederation. With well over 800,000 young Canadians playing soccer and almost half of this number within a 2 hour drive of downtown Toronto, the time has arrived for this City to finally develop a proper soccer/sport facility where the world’s best male and female players can compete at the highest levels.”

“I am also pleased to announce that with my full support, The Canadian Soccer Association has applied to host the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Youth Championship in 2007, with this proposed stadium being one of the most important sites for the event,” continued Warner. “This 24 nation 3 week tournament is the second largest Championship FIFA stages and I am pleased that the initial response from FIFA President Blatter to the Canadian bid has been enthusiastic. I also hope that FIFA will accept an offer from CSA to host the 2007 annual FIFA Congress in Toronto as well, with 204 member nations expected to attend.”

Design plans for the stadium were completed by Stadium Consultants International, a division of Brisbin Brook Beynon, Architects, and features many unique aspects to it, including themed zones to allow for maximum enjoyment of the facility by the different user groups expected to frequent the stadium. Providing premium covered seating on the west side for 10,000 fans, the stadium is an open air facility – something that is unavailable in the Greater Toronto area. As such it complements SkyDome as a mid range, outdoor facility catering to the needs of various sports not usually seen within the dome.

Intimacy was the primary factor in the design phase of the stadium and with spectators only 6 metres from the playing surface, this has been achieved by the architects over the past 8 months of design development. The built-in capabilities for the stadium to ultimately expand up to 70,000 seats has also been achieved should ever the need for this to occur, for such events as the FIFA World Cup, the Grey Cup or for other sporting spectacles.

The stadium playing surface will feature a FIFA Recommended third generation artificial grass product of the highest standard. The only major stadium facility in Canada which currently has this designation is Ottawa’s Frank Clair Stadium with FieldTurf which has now hosted two national women’s team matches in 2003 since receiving this approval from FIFA earlier this year. Usage of this artificial grass in the stadium will allow for extensive training and multiple events to be staged from late March through to the end of November.

The stadium has been designed so that it perfectly meets the playing requirements of international soccer but of other rectilinear sports as well, including CFL football, rugby and lacrosse. It will seat just over 30,000 for soccer and almost 28,000 for CFL football (allowing for removable end zone seating to accommodate the longer CFL field). The stadium, due to the efficiency of its design and artificial grass surface, will be ideal for multiple forms of community use including all levels of soccer from youth events up to and including the professional level of the sport. In addition, major inter-university sports events could easily be staged at this facility while the same could be said for national/international level rugby. It is the intent to make this facility an affordable one to use so that many sport and community groups can take advantage of the stadium.

A financial and market impact assessment of the project was completed by Deloitte & Touche. Based on that analysis, the operations of the Stadium would be sustainable. In addition, the study identified that the construction of the Stadium could generate some $121 million in both direct and indirect spending and 750 jobs. Once operational, it is estimated to generate almost $7.0 million of annual spending and create about 90 jobs. The Stadium is also expected to stimulate local tourism when it hosts high profile international events and exhibitions.

The cost of all the work to date, totaling close to $600,000 has been supported by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and its overall GOAL development Program. FIFA, the international governing body for world soccer with 204 member nations and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, responded positively to a funding request by CSA in support of this stadium project last fall. Since then, CSA has been at work intensively with today’s announcement representing the culmination of this phase of the stadium project. With IMG Solutions retained as project manager and IMG Canada providing overall guidance and support, all necessary design work as well economic feasibility and impact studies have been fully completed and submitted to the Government of Ontario as part of CSA’s overall application for support.

Initial meetings have been held with the City of Toronto, knowing full well that any final decision to be taken on this project must in fact be that of City Council. As well, meetings have occurred with Exhibition Place, the Government of Ontario and others.

Today’s announcement by CSA completes this initial phase of research and development. The focus will now shift to detailed meetings with potential stakeholders including all three levels of Government, as well as Exhibition Place.

For more information please contact:

Morgan Quarry (613) 237-7678 ext.: 230 or media@soccercan.ca

Richard Ivan (613) 237-7678 ext.: 242 or rivan@soccercan.ca

Visit our web site at www.canadasoccer.com

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100% government funding. It shows that the CSA is not going to put any money into the stadium or the Agros. Fieldturf maybe fine for u17 world cup in a northern country, but not in Toronto. Field Hockey in a 30,000 seater stadium and Rugby on artificial turf? We will never get the U20 world cup, up against grass stadiums. What did Jack Warner think of the Frank Clair pitch? This is a joke, and Jack Warner is having the last laugh.

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What? Funding to be shared equally between the provincial and federal governments?

Why should other provinces pay for a project that is going to create jobs and spending in Ontario only? Moosehead, there is no such thing as governemnt funding. Thats better called "100% taxpayer funding."

Also only in Canada would they put artificial turf into what is supposed to be a national soccer stadium.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

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quote:Originally posted by Jarrek

$62.5 million in public funding? I don't think this thing is going to get built.

Good point!!!! Its sounding more and more like another skydome.... I thought that we were suppose to be geting a small 25-30K seat stadium with natural grass. Not somthing that can be expanded to 70K . If thats the case why not see what you can do with Skydome to make it accessible for other sports events?

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It's funny because Mr. Pipe himself said that he wants grass in the Stadium a while back. Now he seems to have backed down on the idea. Obviously the reason being that an artificial surface can attract more sports and hence making it easier for the project to attract government financing.

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quote:Originally posted by Jarrek

It's funny because Mr. Pipe himself said that he wants grass in the Stadium a while back. Now he seems to have backed down on the idea. Obviously the reason being that an artificial surface can attract more sports and hence making it easier for the project to attract government financing.

If the other sports they are trying to attract are field hockey and Rugby, those people don't want to play on FieldTurf. Astroturf is the preferred surface for grass hockey players, and I'm sure rugby players prefer softer grass, not to mention playingwithout tiny rubber pellets lodged in their eyes.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

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quote:Originally posted by Moosehead

100% government funding. It shows that the CSA is not going to put any money into the stadium or the Agros. Fieldturf maybe fine for u17 world cup in a northern country, but not in Toronto. Field Hockey in a 30,000 seater stadium and Rugby on artificial turf? We will never get the U20 world cup, up against grass stadiums. What did Jack Warner think of the Frank Clair pitch? This is a joke, and Jack Warner is having the last laugh.

Just to clarify, the CSA IS a government organization. How in the world would you expect it to raise 60 mil when its annual operating budget is 10 mil?

I'd also like to bring to light for some of you who don't work in government just how government and the Treasury work. What happens is you go to the Treasury and you ask for more than what you need. Of course the government will say no to the full amount, but that's the way the game is played. The CSA will then turn around and say okay, how much will you give? Let's say for arguments sake that the Treasury Board of Canada and Ontario combined give 30 million. Then the CSA turns around and goes to the Argos and corporate sponsors to make up the difference, highlighting the fact that the governments are behind them.

That's just how it's played. I've know because I've been a part of many projects where we needed money from the treasury board. Don't be so hasty in judging the CSA on this. Patience will be required. Don't expect Mel Lastman with a shovel and hardhat at exhibition place tomorrow morning.

This is a very sound plan, and getting Warner to come up and pledge the U-20 was a stroke of genius. Hats off to the CSA on this occasion. (except for the Fieldturf...I don't agree.)

Mimglow, Ottawa

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quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Good point!!!! Its sounding more and more like another skydome.... I thought that we were suppose to be geting a small 25-30K seat stadium with natural grass. Not somthing that can be expanded to 70K . If thats the case why not see what you can do with Skydome to make it accessible for other sports events?

Generally "expandable" simply means design and construction built to accomodate future expansion and costs very little in additional construction costs. In municipal facitlity construction for example, the adaptability to "expansion" is a biggie for the funding agency. As for the carpet rather than grass, I am disappointed as well. Undoubtedly operating costs are a consideration, but Edmonton manages to do it.

The opinions expressed above are just that.

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quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead

What? Funding to be shared equally between the provincial and federal governments?

Why should other provinces pay for a project that is going to create jobs and spending in Ontario only? Moosehead, there is no such thing as governemnt funding. Thats better called "100% taxpayer funding."

Also only in Canada would they put artificial turf into what is supposed to be a national soccer stadium.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

You can bet that the 2010 Olympics will require some sort of Federal financing, so why the Problem when its in TO?

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quote:Originally posted by Free kick

You can bet that the 2010 Olympics will require some sort of Federal financing, so why the Problem when its in TO?

First off, I'm not an Olympics supporter so that argument won't wash with me. But the Olympics are a totally different thing. All of Canada is "supposed" to benefit from the Olympics. Canada is supposed to benefit from the high profile of Olympics being in Canada, and lets face it when it comes time for the games 90% of the federal government are going to be th ones treated royally in the stands as they get all the ticksts. Of course the government is going to chip in on their own part. A stadium in Toronto benefits Toronto only. The Argos, and perhaps a few soccer games. I don't see any ofthose other sports wanting to play there for reasons I've already given. To compare the Olympics to a new stadium is really weak.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

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quote:Originally posted by Mimglow

Just to clarify, the CSA IS a government organization. How in the world would you expect it to raise 60 mil when its annual operating budget is 10 mil?

the CSA is a NOT a federal government organization...

the CSA is the national sporting/governing body of soccer ... its prime source of funding comes from its membership and private sector sponsorship ...

the level of federal dollars finding its way into the game is an embarassment given the dollars going into the economy from soccer...

the $31.1 million dollars the CSA is seeking from the federals is a drop in the bucket compared to the GST that has been collected directly from soccer goods and services...and the GST from the rest the soccer food chain ...

it's pay back time, isn't it ...

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are

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Does Jack Warner have shares in field turf?

This is such a stupid idea. Can somebody at the CSA please explain to us (the fans) why they are proposing to spend millions of dollars into building a “marquee” stadium with field turf?

How naïve is the CSA?

Do they really think that we are on the vanguard of a global movement towards field turf?

Let’s see…the French were complaining about it after the Francophone games, the Brazilians did not have kind words after Montreal, the Dutch wouldn’t even play on it!? Great…I can feel the momentum!!

There is no way that we are going to get the U-20 mens World Cup and the only snr. mens teams that are going to agree to play on it are other “third world” soccer nations such as ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong, field turf is great for community soccer, or CFL football stadiums etc… but if the CSA is going to dump millions of dollars for a “marquee” soccer stadium it should be grass!!

Why don’t they save their money and make a deal with the Renegades to put in a natural grass pitch in Ottawa. There is no track at Frank Claire!!

"A pretty move, for the love of God."

Eduardo Galeano

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Is Commonwealth considered a white elephant?

Apart from the 11 Esks matches held every year, how many other big events are held there?

Why would this stadium be any different. Eleven Argos games, six or so CSA matches, the Lynx or an MLS side, University of Toronto .....

It doesn't have to be sold out to be useful. High School championships would be idea in this facility. They currently play the high school football finals at Skydome. This place would be a much better option.

If, and that is a big if, it ever gets built, it will be used sufficiently to be practical. It will never be as busy as the ACC but nor should it expected to be.

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quote:Originally posted by dbailey62

Is Commonwealth considered a white elephant?

Apart from the 11 Esks matches held every year, how many other big events are held there?

Why would this stadium be any different. Eleven Argos games, six or so CSA matches, the Lynx or an MLS side, University of Toronto .....

It doesn't have to be sold out to be useful. High School championships would be idea in this facility. They currently play the high school football finals at Skydome. This place would be a much better option.

If, and that is a big if, it ever gets built, it will be used sufficiently to be practical. It will never be as busy as the ACC but nor should it expected to be.

But Commonwealth was buit for the commonwealth games, and has hosted the world track and field tournaments. It wasn't built specifially to be a CFL only stadium, and lets face it with FieldTurf that is what it is going to be mainly used for. No senior mens national soccer teams will want to play there, it's out for field hockey because it's not astroturf, and I don't see any national rugby teams wanting to play on the FieldTurf.

All those other things you mention such as high school and U of T are fine. So the money should come from the Ontario government and private funding, not the rest of Canada.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

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You're assuming the Molson Indy will even be around by the time this stadium is built.

Anyways, I can't see how any type of race track can be run through a stadium. Where do you run it through and how do you lay a permenent track? It's tarmac not grass.

quote:Originally posted by Jarrek

Hey, maybe they can throw in another sport to make the project more viable.

How about having a race track running through the field during the annual Toronto Molson Indy ?

"Winning is most important. Everything is a consequence of that."

-Ayrton Senna (1960 - 1994)

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quote:Originally posted by dbailey62

It doesn't have to be sold out to be useful. High School championships would be idea in this facility. They currently play the high school football finals at Skydome. This place would be a much better option.

with a proper showcase venue along with an upgrading of some other city facilities ... toronto could work on hosting a USA CUP scale youth tournament

got admit that the real dream is a soccerplex with a main stadium surrounded by a host of playing and practice fields ...

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are

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Obviously a grass field is preferable. The CSA knows that. But it seems pretty damn clear the CSA -- regardless of its efforts -- can't get a 30,000-seat, natural grass stadium built in this country. They need partners and extensive government funding. And that seems to mean field turf. Those who are saying it's a "grass field or nothing" are really saying it should be "nothing", are you not?

"There is hope -- but not for us." (Kafka)

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KH,

I know what you're saying but apart from those two excellent world class events, Commonwealth is pretty much a CFL stadium, at least in terms of the big ticket events that take place there.

I'm sure it is used for a myriad of other, smaller events and it those events that probably make the stadium viable.

I know you're talking about the funding issue but I was thinking more about usage in my reply to the White Elephant comment somewhere above.

I will differ with your take on federal funding though. The federal government is always putting money into cultural events in various parts of the country. That's the way the system works. Obviously, by doing so they are benefitting an event in a specific region. It's impossible to imagine how they could only put money into events/groups that would benefit all regions of the country equally (which is sort of where you're going with this).

If we took your argument a step further, people in Sudbury or Thunder Bay or Moose Factory would be saying to the Ontario Government STOP!!

You're giving Ontario money to a cause that helps only Toronto. You should be giving money only to causes that help all Ontarians.

Soon its East Toronto vs. West Toronto. Where does it end?

Your argument doesn't wash amigo.

db [^]

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Hey if we got our share of "taxpayers" money out here, then it would be okay.

Back to commonwealth stadium though. It was built for a bigger purpose than just hosting CFL games though. Thats all I'm saying.

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

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Guest Jeffery S.
quote:Originally posted by JayWay

You're assuming the Molson Indy will even be around by the time this stadium is built.

Anyways, I can't see how any type of race track can be run through a stadium. Where do you run it through and how do you lay a permenent track? It's tarmac not grass.

"Winning is most important. Everything is a consequence of that."

-Ayrton Senna (1960 - 1994)

I get the sense you'd kinda like to see racing cars running through a stadium Jay;). Would actually be quite cool.

I think you could imagine "any kind of race track running through a stadium" though, just imagine indoor motocross. But not a tarmac to be sure.

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quote:Originally posted by BC supporter

Obviously a grass field is preferable. The CSA knows that. But it seems pretty damn clear the CSA -- regardless of its efforts -- can't get a 30,000-seat, natural grass stadium built in this country. They need partners and extensive government funding. And that seems to mean field turf. Those who are saying it's a "grass field or nothing" are really saying it should be "nothing", are you not?

"There is hope -- but not for us." (Kafka)

You may right. but I still have hard time time understanding why many northern cities in the US can have grass-surface stadia instead of artificial yet we can't seem to find it commercially viable. The climate in TO is not all that different from Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland etc. yet we must have field turf.

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