piltdownman Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I'm very confused. Pavco has claimed for years that the stadium breaks even and even makes a small profit. But now "corporation's $1.4 million annual deficit". WTF? Or are they just playing with numbers? Like the stadium makes pennies a year, buts that's before expense ZYX is taken into account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks fan Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 ^ I believe that's simply the amount it costs to keep the dome air supported each year. (heating costs....etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalcity Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Richard Seems I was right when I speculated earlier in this thread that it would probably be cheaper and easier to demolish the stadium and start afresh than try to retrofit it with a retractable roof. Never heard such a dumb, wasteful idea. Also, the comment at the bottom of the Vancouver Sun piece about heavy use for trade shows rather supports my argument that even with a retractable roof natural grass would be a non-starter. I think money is a matter of perspective. Olympics needs to use BC Place. So Pavco spends $$$$$$$$$$$$$ retrofitting BC Place. Gordon Campbell comes out and says in a couple years that the Olympics are completed on time and (under) on budget right down to the toilet paper. This is most likely a Vanoc shell game. Move the money around to other gov't entities to hide the real cost of the games. The real worry I have is a future city council saying "why do you need a stadium Mr. Kerfoot, BC place has just had a retrofit, why don't you use that"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Don't get me started on the waste, porkbarrelling, elitism, privilege and political grandstanding associated with the Olympics which money and greed have morphed beyond recognition from the original vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calgary Boomer Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 This will in no way affect what happens on the Waterfront. The city is secretly licking its collective lips over a privately funded, mid-sized stadium that helps revitalize the neighbourhood. I'm more convinced than ever that the Waterfront stadium is a matter of when, not if...regardless of what happens at the dome. I personally would much rather see BC Place retrofit with a retractable roof, than 8 more condo towers built by Tom Renny, and a new stadium in Surrey (even though that's where most Lions fans come from) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I am not interested in the province spending $150 million on a retractable roof for BC Place, whether or not they sell off land for a few more condos. Spend $20 million to replace the inflatable roof material if it needs it and put the rest towards the $2.8 billion the Campbell liberals are expecting Translink to raise from us for the transit plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadasBest Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 20 Million? Add at least another $50 Million over the next 25 years in Energy costs to keep the thing supported. They should do a corporate themed thing. Maybe Trojan is willing to pay for a new fabric roof. Think about the design and the marketing. We could debate all day about the benefits and costs of Vancouver hosting the Olympics. As well as a Whitecaps fan I'm also a Lions fan and would love to see BC Place have a retractable roof regardless of whether the Whitecaps play there or not. What I don't want to see is a rush planned in time for the Olympics that will result in a $150 Million Montreal Olympic Stadium Catastrophe on our hands. I still firmly believe that no replacement of the roof will be possible in time for the 2010 Winter Games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Wasn't talking about maintenance costs, just replacement. Don't think a retracting roof won't require expensive maintenance. This whole idea spells disaster frankly, no project of this magnitude should be rushed, even if all they do is replace the fabric on the existing structure. It smells of Gordon Campbell gazing down from his helicopter en route between Victoria and his Vancouver office and thinking, something needs to be done to smarten up raggedy old BC Place before 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks fan Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 well the lifespan of the current roof is only supposed to be 25 years or something like that, so they need to replace it anyways within the next five years or so. It would make sense to do it before the Olympics, but it probably would've made more sense to start planning it a few years earlier.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedmonk42 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 We could turn it into a giant brothel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodfern2007 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Or a giant rave,..., within a brothel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedmonk42 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 quote:Originally posted by rodfern2007 Or a giant rave,..., within a brothel. True it is big enough for multiple forms of debauchery. It would be a brother to rave about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 They're already drilling holes around BC Place Stadium to prepare the Stadium for a retrofit. Looks like the Roof will be a big project. Crews from Mud Bay Drilling in Surrey drilled and extracted cores from sites near the East End Zone, one in the Southeast corner near the BC Lions ticket office then sealed with cement, the other near the east Airlock. Both sites are now surrounded by orange pylons and yellow marker tape. Looks like they will reinforce the walls and structure to prepare it for a Fixed or Retractable Roof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Wow, this is going to be a disaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Well the Government is going to make the announcement any day now. Get ready for 24 Hours a day of construction on that Stadium. New concession stands, new seats, etc. You think the Canada Line was disruptive? you haven't seen anything yet folks! The only way they're gonna get that Roof done is 24 Hours a day shifts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 If the general contractor pulls this one off on time and within budget he deserves a medal but knowing this Conservative (Sorry, 'Liberal') provincial government they will pay whatever it costs if the Olympics are associated with the project. The optics are just too irresistable for the politicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 so if they put the Retractable on BC Place and the Waterfront Stadium isn't going to happen, why do the Whitecaps still not want to play in BC Place? They can get their MLS franchise and play in BC Place till a new stadium is built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 ^ That may well be the plan but nobody is talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Bill so if they put the Retractable on BC Place and the Waterfront Stadium isn't going to happen, why do the Whitecaps still not want to play in BC Place? They can get their MLS franchise and play in BC Place till a new stadium is built Because: a) BC Place is a crappy, cavernous place to watch soccer It makes no sense to shell out the $40 million MLS expansion fee without a guaranteed stadium site approved and under construction c) The Caps are at the mercy of PavCo's scheduling (BC Lions and trade shows will always get priority. d) They will see ZERO revenue for parking and concession. They've already got a similarly lousy deal with Burnaby city hall for the use of Swangard. e) Did I mention that BC Place is a crappy, cavernous place to watch soccer? You engage your fans much better by bringing them closer to the action. Kerfoot and Lenarduzzi have toured too many stadia in Europe and the UK to ignore the benefits of a soccer-oriented facility that brings the fans into the action. Toronto is doing it right at BMO. Montreal is too with Stade Saputo. If the Caps move to BC Place long term, it will indeed kill the fairweather support (a big chunk of ticket sales!) within a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 What do you suggest the Caps do when they want to draw 10,000 for a game but at Swangard they have to turn away 5000 cause the place only holds 5000? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Bill What do you suggest the Caps do when they want to draw 10,000 for a game but at Swangard they have to turn away 5000 cause the place only holds 5000? Well as it stands, the Caps can't draw 10,000 at Swangard against USL opposition, so it's a moot point. That's not a knock against the Caps, it's the just the reality of the situation. As we've seen in Toronto, public perception of a league's quality can mean a huge difference in ticket sales. Like it or not, MLS is the big bulldog, and USL is the yapping chihuahua. The Caps are consistently selling 80 to 90 % of their available tickets season after season. That's excellent as far as the USL is concerned, but I think their potential for further growth to the next level is severely handicapped by their current circumstances. Swangard's less than perfect location in the burbs isn't helping either. Limited parking, poorly lit walkways from the Skytrain through mugger-filled Central Park and zero post-game amenities (pubs, etc) within walking distance are stifling the Caps' hopes for growth. The best draw they've had in recent years was 6800 v. Sunderland a few years back. If I understand correctly they were given special permission to over-sell their usual seating capacity with standing room tickets. Even a Swangard expansion is also totally out of the question. Burnaby city hall is firmly opposed to any permanent expansion of the existing footprint within the park. That's why temporary bleachers were brought in for the U20 World Cup... and even that was an uphill battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calgary Boomer Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I chatted to someone in a suit at the Whitecaps game the other day. I asked what they thought about the negotiations going public...and he felt that in the public's eye, the Port is in poor position. He also noted all the spinoff discussion in Newspapers, on the radio and on the internet. It was also a big discussion after the game Saturday on CKNW. One caller felt there was a hidden agenda by Mr Kerfoot, and that he was going to develop around the stadium. I'm not sure how that's possible given a 10,000 sq metre footprint. He also felt that we shouldn't be "giving waterfront away". I hate that old excuse...aren't we all entited to waterfront access, not just rich condo owners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Who is giving anything away on the Waterfront? If anything, with the offer from Kerfoot to the Port Authority that is currently on the table, Kerfoot is giving millions to the Port Authority! Wish these dumbass people who waste their time on mindless phone-in programs which radio stations love because they are so cheap to produce, would get at least a scintilla of their facts straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Another article about BC Places new roof: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=16090156-d57c-446a-a950-a5ff0f237156 The mention that it could be the home of soccer and baseball. On a related note its amazing how to massive cost overruns on the convention centre aren't bigger news. From what I understand it is now $350m overbudget already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Much of the cost of the Roof will be offset by the selling of Pavco owned lands around BC Place for Condo and Office towers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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