Argos To Begin Building Stadium By August?

Massive Attack · January 13, 2004

Argos-Leafs talk stadium

Four GTA sites under consideration

York University the leading candidate

RICK MATSUMOTO

SPORTS REPORTER

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—The new owners of the Argonauts say they plan on retaining control of the team, but acknowledge talking to the Maple Leafs about becoming partners in a new stadium development.

Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon also say they hope to pick a final site for the project within four months and that they like York University, while Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is eyeing Varsity Stadium.

The Argos hope to begin construction by August at the latest, which would give them the 18 months needed to erect an intimate 25,000-seat facility in time for the 2006 CFL season.

"David and I really believe that's doable," Sokolowski said yesterday before heading into the first session of the CFL board of governors' annual meeting here at the PGA National Resort and Spa.

As for a possible partnership with the Leafs, Sokolowski said it offers the fledgling team owners some advantages but he does not want it to come at the cost of losing control of the Argos. "David and I would like to maintain operating control of the team," he said.

Sokolowski and Cynamon purchased the Argos last fall after the CFL revoked the franchise from Sherwood Schwarz. They immediately said building a new stadium was a priority because of the high rent and small crowds at the 53,500-seat SkyDome.

While the proposed resurrection of Varsity Stadium in conjunction with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the University of Toronto is an attention-grabber, it is only one of three or four sites under consideration, said Sokolowski, along with York University, Exhibition Place and Woodbine racetrack.

While the Argo owners insist they are reviewing all options, they appear to be favouring York.

"I think York would be a tremendous location for a stadium," Sokolowski said. "We've had some serious discussion — not negotiations, I want to stress — with York and they're moving on it."

Cynamon admitted he has a "warmth" toward York, which he attended after moving from Edmonton.

"The city is growing northward," he said. "It'll be the hub of the city before too long."

Sokolowski pointed out that the bulk of the team's season-ticket subscribers come from the 905 region. While there is the question of public transit access to York, both owners say that only affects those seeking to get to the Steeles-Keele area from the core of the city.

"And (Mayor) David Miller says he'll build a subway to York," Sokolowski said.

York has 9,000 surface parking spots on campus, which is convenient for fans driving to Argo games and which would provide further revenue for the club.

Bud Purves, president of York University Development Corp., acknowledged he has had talks with Sokolowski and said the university would welcome a joint venture with the team.

While York would not be involved financially in building a stadium, it would provide the land adjacent to the new National Tennis Centre, which is scheduled to open in May.

With the tennis centre, the Metro Track and Field facilities and the school's Tait McKenzie athletic complex all nearby, a new stadium and the presence of a professional football team would tie in with the school's sports medicine courses.

"It would be an athletic power centre," Purves said. "It would be a win-win proposition for the university."

At U of T, Bruce Kidd, the dean of physical education and health, said he has been in discussions with MLSE about rebuilding Varsity Stadium.

"We have had productive discussions," Kidd said. "But I can't say more at this time."

MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum is out of the country.

Sokolowski acknowledged he has talked with Tanenbaum, who asked if he and Cynamon would consider MLSE as an equity partner in the team as part of a stadium project at Varsity. However, Sokolowski declined to speculate on Tanenbaum's interest in the Argos or a rebuilt Varsity Stadium.

However, sources close to MLSE say business opportunities, such as retail outlets connected to a new stadium and a new Varsity Arena, which would provide a practice rink for the Leafs, interest MLSE.

The Leafs practise at Lakeshore Lions Arena in Etobicoke.

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Massive Attack · January 14, 2004

It looks like The Star is giving the new stadium a lot of coverage. Here's 2 more articles.

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Jan. 14, 2004. 01:00 AM

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Stadium deal intrigues owner of Leafs, Raptors

But caution raised about tight finances

U of T excited about improved facilities

JIM BYERS AND RICK MATSUMOTO

SPORTS REPORTERS

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors are extremely interested in buying a piece of the Argonauts and building a new football/soccer stadium at the University of Toronto. But it's still very much uncertain if a marriage can be arranged, officials said yesterday.

The Argos say they like the idea of using the experience that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has had in running NHL and NBA teams and managing the Air Canada Centre.

U of T also appreciates the idea of a new stadium that students and athletes could use. And the Leafs say they think they have a lot to offer the Argos. But MLSE president Richard Peddie yesterday sounded a note of caution.

"It's a really tight project; tight financially," he said in an interview. "But we worked over the holidays on this. It's not pie in the sky. Larry (Tanenbaum, MLSE chair and co-owner) didn't want to mislead the University of Toronto, and we didn't want them to think we were wasting their time.

"There's a lot of will on both sides, but that often is not enough," Peddie added.

SPEAKOUT

Which location is best suited for a new Toronto Argos stadium: University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium or York University?

Click here to email us your comments, we'll publish a selection.

Both the Leafs/Raptors and Argos say they are looking closely at a deal and that an announcement — yes or no — should come within a few weeks.

One CFL source said it's simply a business deal and that the bottom line will determine if Argo co-owners Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon opt to sell a share of their team to MLSE.

Peddie refused to state what percentage of the Argos is desired, but he said the Leafs/Raptors would insist on being "active participants" in the CFL team.

The return on investment might not be huge, but if a closer look at the deal shows little risk it could well go through, he said.

Peddie said the Leafs have a lot to offer the Argos.

"I have a sales department bigger than their company," he said. "We have experts in everything from Web sites to digital TV to group sales. We're very experienced and we've delivered good numbers. It would be smart for them to look at us."

Argos president Keith Pelley admitted there are strong reasons for the team to consider a partnership with MLSE.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are a powerful brand and there's no question access to their marketing and sales expertise would be beneficial to us," he said during a break at a CFL board of governors meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

But Argo officials also have kept the door wide open with York University as well as with Exhibition Place. Sokolowski and Cynamon are scheduled to meet next week with officials from Exhibition Place.

Both the Argos and MLSE are used to high-profile negotiations and neither side is likely to tip their hand at a crucial time.

The Argos will do everything they can to persuade MLSE they have other options so they can strike the best deal. The Leafs will no doubt be just as cagey in negotiations.

Cynamon told The Fan radio station yesterday that he remains convinced a stadium would be financially viable at York, which is his alma mater and next door to where Sokolowski is building a residential project. The MLSE proposal "sounds like a very intriguing idea, but there's so much more to hash out," he said.

The Leafs and U of T have talked about spending upwards of $100 million on a football/soccer stadium with 20,000 to 25,000 seats with an eight-lane running track on the site of the old Varsity Stadium. There would also be a new arena built to replace aging Varsity Arena, thus providing a new centre for students and a full-time practice facility for the Leafs, plus new retail shops on Bloor St.

The Canadian Soccer Association, which has been lobbying for a new football/soccer stadium in Toronto with up to 30,000 seats, has said it prefers Exhibition Place, which would likely require government money. But CSA chief executive Kevan Pipe said any first-class stadium in Toronto would be a huge step forward.

The CSA has bid for the men's under-21 youth championship in 2007, soccer's biggest event after the World Cup. But Canada won't win without a new stadium.

U of T officials are overjoyed at the idea of the Leafs and Argos building a new stadium.

"They are prepared to build the facilities we want and give our students the access we need. I think it would be excellent for the Argos, excellent for the Leafs and fabulous for the city," said athletics director Bruce Kidd. He said the university would retain ownership of the land in any deal with MLSE.

Ashley Morton, president of the U of T undergraduate student union, said he would favour students paying a service fee for the stadium, but only if they get plenty of access.

"All of our input has been completed," said John Dellandrea, vice-president of development at U of T. "For the university, it's a fabulous idea."

WITH FILES FROM MICHAEL CLARKSON AND NORMAN DA COSTA

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Jan. 14, 2004. 01:00 AM

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Argonauts could hit jackpot

U of T stadium site attractive proposal

DAVE PERKINS

SPORTS COLUMNIST

The door has been very publicly opened for the Argonauts to get into bed with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and all Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon need to do now is pretend they haven't won the lottery.

The two men, who bought the debt-ridden Argos last fall, can ride along in a downtown stadium being proposed as part of a new sports complex for the University of Toronto. Details have yet to be sorted out, but an ownership position in the CFL club apparently would need to be surrendered.

Big deal. It wasn't too long ago that you could pretty much buy the Argos for what you have in your pocket.

Sokolowski and Cynamon are developers and likely fancied the Argos and a stadium as centrepiece of a big sprawl somewhere. They are successful businessmen and passionate about the Argos and so on, but think of the possibilities now. A chance for a downtown stadium, right there on the subway line, too.

Once upon a time, the Argos played out of now-departed Varsity Stadium, which would form much of the footprint of the new complex. But that was before the current subway configuration of the city, before Toronto became the Toronto we now know.

A "new" Varsity Stadium would be a dramatic change for the most recent generations of football fans and if indeed the Argos intend to market themselves toward younger fans, a homey downtown stadium accessible by public transit sounds too good to be true.

Sokolowski, who has plenty of money and could probably build whatever he wants wherever he wants, and Cynamon are making noises about York University or maybe even Woodbine for a stadium site. They are required to, as a means of bargaining themselves into this project, which is still in the preliminary stages. They'd be silly to miss out on it, though.

Imagine 20,000 or 25,000 people spilling out of a stadium downtown on a nice evening, looking for a restaurant or bar on foot.

That's all part of the attraction and you can't do much of it around York. At Woodbine, you'd go lose your dough in the slot machines after a game. Neither comes close to a Varsity site.

For decades, the Argos have played in stadiums that catered more toward the driving crowd than those arriving on public transit. You could get to the CNE on the TTC, but it wasn't really convenient and most fans preferred to drive. Ditto the SkyDome, which is slightly more friendly for public transit. By relocating the team at York (or Woodbine, a longer shot) they would make it almost entirely a driving crowd.

The area around U of T doesn't provide much parking. Neither did the neighbourhood around Maple Leaf Gardens and much of the crowd there arrived by subway. The Air Canada Centre provides improved subway access, plus a lot more waterfront-area parking as well as a great deal of foot traffic from the Queens Quay condos and Bay St. offices. It's a great location that way.

For the Leafs to expand operations to U of T, thus providing a nearby practice rink with this little football/soccer stadium included, makes sense for them, especially if the university is providing the land.

Larry Tanenbaum wouldn't be doing this entirely for the good of the city, or the university, naturally. Between naming and pouring rights and so on, there's going to be money in it for MLSE, especially if the Argos (and further down the line, the soccer people) arrive as minor players.

That's even though the overindulgences of the SkyDome 15 years ago turned off the public money taps for private stadium development — a very good thing, by the way.

The Leafs will always make their money. But if the Argos play their cards right, getting themselves under the MLSE managing/merchandising umbrella is like the CFL team hitting the jackpot.

Massive Attack · January 14, 2004