masster Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 It looks like things aren't getting any easier for the Whitecaps. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=04eb5e6c-86cb-4d16-8ae3-c27911bfd6dd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 But a stadium could also be a transition area between Crab Park and the more highly developed area to the west of the SeaBus Terminal. Maybe I'm not getting it but west of the SeaBus Terminal would pressed up to Waterfront station and the province building, but back over train tracks. (FYI. there is only 160m between the seabus terminal and Waterfront station) besides crab park migth work, the parking area for the heliport is 115m x 250m . http://www.whitecapsnewstadium.com/renderings.cfm#rendering5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Just goes to prove that Vancouver is such a no fun city though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 This is going to have the NIMBY's up in arms. They were already griping about Crab Park being used by tailgaters... and that's when the stadium was further away. I've got a bad feeling we're about to get screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalcity Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 I think we are already screwed. I hope I'm wrong. But, I have to wonder how long Kerfoot is going to put up with this? At what point do you start looking into other options? Other cities? (Burnaby) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Kerfoot already has backup plans of that you can be sure. Surrey City Centre is high up on the list, plenty of space, good transit hub, a willing city council and no doubt a very supportive community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Richard Surrey City Centre is high up on the list, plenty of space, good transit hub, a willing city council and no doubt a very supportive community. Another great reason to not attend games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Your loss. When did you last visit that part of the GVRD so you can speak from first hand experience rather than from hearsay (spoken by a former West Vancouverite)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 It has nothing to do with the area. I just have no intention of taking transit to Surrey from North Vancouver. The whole idea of a downtown Vancouver was to have the stadium in the city of Vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Wow. Why is this such a challenge? Why does our city pay so much attention to the squawkers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Vancouver has decided that after Burnaby getting all the international press attention for the u-20WC, it is really better if it stays that way. They have even requested that Michael Buble stop using the term "Vancouver" as his home town as he too is from Burnaby and things should be kept clearly separated. Let's not get Vancouver messed up in this soccer business, I mean key local soccer people like Lenarduzzi, Kerfoot and Krammerhead don't even live in the municipality. This is the official position of the expert bureaucrats at city hall, who will only approve a project quickly if it is high-end waterfront housing with silly green tinted windows and chlorinated duck ponds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead It has nothing to do with the area. I just have no intention of taking transit to Surrey from North Vancouver. The whole idea of a downtown Vancouver was to have the stadium in the city of Vancouver. I don't think the 'whole idea of a downtown Vancouver was to have the stadium' as you put it. If the City of Vancouver makes it too difficult for the people who want to build and pay for this facility then they will give up or go elsewhere, at a transit hub in a district that welcomes them. If you won't take a 40 minute Skytrain ride to watch an MLS game then that's your loss, lots of people do much more than that now. And you haven't answered my question about when you last visted Surrey City Centre, if ever, so we must presume you are making judgements out of pure ignorance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 As someone who was raised in downtown Whalley, I can honestly say Surrey is nowhere near as bad as it's reputation. That said, Surrey is a crap location for any outdoor pro sports organization. Playing in the suburbs effectively wipes out all of the the "big league" vibe that the Whitecaps are hoping to capitalize on by being downtown. A smart owner puts his club a) where the population is, and where the masses will travel to willingly. Kerfoot's trying like hell, but if DT Vancouver doesn't happen soon, I can't see the Caps ever making it out of the USL. Not that any of this matters - the way the Caps are playing right now, they'll be lucky to get 2,000 at their next match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:If you won't take a 40 minute Skytrain ride to watch an MLS game then that's your loss 40 minutes? You obviously don't take transit anywhere. Do yo uthink I live at the skytrain station and hop on the train? You don't magically catch the skytrain and arrive at your destination. It takes me 45-60 minutes to get to Swangard from where I live presently. Thats walking to the seabus, waiting for the damn thing to arrive, taking the seabus over and then catching the skytrain....then the ride to and from the stadium is absolute magic with the junkies and bums waiting outside the station and the drunks/junkies riding the skytrain. It's obvious you drive your nice car to games or you wouldn't be making such ignorant comments about 45 minute rides to games. quote:And you haven't answered my question about when you last visted Surrey City Centre, if ever, so we must presume you are making judgements out of pure ignorance? Why should I Like I said above, Surrey's reputation has nothing to do with my decision. But if you want to be a nazi and interrogate me then I'll say I never stop in Surrey, only go through it to visit Chilliwack. I have no reason to go into Surrey, and I don't drive so why should I want to go there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 One additional note. Many times one gets to the Seabus after a Whitecaps game to find that it's a 30 minute wait to the next seabus trip to North Vancouver. On those nights it takes me about 90 minutes just to get home from Burnaby. But then one would actually be taking transit to know that, not some know it all who drives from games making assumptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks fan Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Its been over a year since the city council vote and what has happened since then? Instead of this project moving forward, it's gone backwards. I hate it to say it, but I'm really not to optimistic anymore about this ever getting built at the waterfront location. The new new location doesn't really sound like it will solve many of the issues city council and the nimbys seem to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks fan Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 And just to comment on the prospect of having to travel to the suburbs to see games, it currently takes me a little over an hour by the B line and skytrain to get to swangard from UBC so it really wouldn't make a huge difference to have to ride it for another 20 mins to get to Surrey. But that's not the point. One of the main goals of this stadium was to create a world class facility in the heart of downtown. A picturesque stadium downtown that's transit friendly would be an attraction in itself and would surely bring in crowds. And I agree that if you want to have the "big league" mentality which clearly the whitecaps are trying to have, you gotta have the stadium downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ag futbol Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Just to join in randomly on this discussion. TFC is actually one of the few MLS clubs who have a stadium close to their downtown core. Many teams in MLS are actually located in suburbs. If the proposed stadium site goes through, Vancouver would have one of the best stadium locations in MLS. Having a team downtown increases the presence of the club within the city, and with the easy transportation access it's more than worth the cost. I would strongly suspect that teams with better stadium locations in MLS will have an easier time retaining a fanbase. I still have a hard time believing that people are again someone building a stadium downtown with his own money. Unreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Exactly right. Downtown stadium in Toronto = passionate fans, sold out stadium. A no-brainer, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackenzie Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 It'll be really quite sad if the Waterfront Stadium doesn't get built and they need to settle for Surrey. The location and view from the open North end would just be fantastic and probably be one of the best soccer stadiums in Canada or the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thistle Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Blue and White Army Exactly right. Downtown stadium in Toronto = passionate fans, sold out stadium. A no-brainer, really. Can't deny that, but with a city pop of 2.5 million and 5 million covering the GTA, filling a 25k stadium IS a no-brainer. It's still a novelty to the city but I agree that the 25k can be filled with nothing but football fanatics. By way of argument, though, how many of those fanatics use the GO train to get there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thistle Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Mackenzie It'll be really quite sad if the Waterfront Stadium doesn't get built and they need to settle for Surrey. The location and view from the open North end would just be fantastic and probably be one of the best soccer stadiums in Canada or the US. The scenery is for the TV cameras and tourists. Swangard pretty much covers that right now and has definitely impressed John Helm. The only way I'd be looking up at the scenery of the north-end during play would be when Beckham's taking a penalty toward the north-end goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackenzie Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Scenery is important I think. Watching TFC games and seeing the CN tower in the background is pretty neat and you know exactly where the game is at when turning it on. The new Montreal stadium will have the Big O's Tower in the background too. Without scenery you may as well be playing the the same ol pre-fab kit stadiums that everyone else is. Regardless, being in the downtown is more important than anything else, location location location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Thistle Can't deny that, but with a city pop of 2.5 million and 5 million covering the GTA, filling a 25k stadium IS a no-brainer. It's still a novelty to the city but I agree that the 25k can be filled with nothing but football fanatics. Pretty much every team in MLS would beg to differ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VancouverDude Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead 40 minutes? You obviously don't take transit anywhere. Do yo uthink I live at the skytrain station and hop on the train? You don't magically catch the skytrain and arrive at your destination. It takes me 45-60 minutes to get to Swangard from where I live presently. Thats walking to the seabus, waiting for the damn thing to arrive, taking the seabus over and then catching the skytrain....then the ride to and from the stadium is absolute magic with the junkies and bums waiting outside the station and the drunks/junkies riding the skytrain. It's obvious you drive your nice car to games or you wouldn't be making such ignorant comments about 45 minute rides to games. Why should I Like I said above, Surrey's reputation has nothing to do with my decision. But if you want to be a nazi and interrogate me then I'll say I never stop in Surrey, only go through it to visit Chilliwack. I have no reason to go into Surrey, and I don't drive so why should I want to go there? You can enjoy your isoloated existence then. A stadium being viable in Surrey has absolutely nothing to do with you anyway. MANY people would travel for an hour or more to go see their club. People do it all the time for the nucks and lions giants, you name it.. if people WANT to go, they will get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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