CPL Stadium Thread

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It never went to public tender, that is, it was never in the terms of a publically funded amenity. Which makes me think what you're saying is not entirely correct. 

I don't believe Langley paid Friend for the stadium fully and that was a net benefit to his business. Or at least, I find it odd. 

Friend has, on a number of occasions, talked about how "they didn't get what was promised". A number of accounts I've heard indicate that what was delivered is a much scaled back version from what Friend was initially showing off as the design for the stadium before the change in mayor/council.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

What was delivered looks little different from the temporary bleachers in Halifax.

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

What was delivered looks little different from the temporary bleachers in Halifax.

When you say "looks", does that refer to "eyeballing behind a screen", or have you actually been to both?

Just checking.

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Friend has, on a number of occasions, talked about how "they didn't get what was promised". A number of accounts I've heard indicate that what was delivered is a much scaled back version from what Friend was initially showing off as the design for the stadium before the change in mayor/council.

I read, checking my data, that Langley paid 20 million for the stadium. I find that a lot of money, first of all. Then I think that is amazing that Friend, with a rather mediocre modular stadium from China, made money off a modest municipal government selling them that and they agreed with no public tender. 

Then VFC pays a lease, the city gets their % of concessions, I also read if they do naming rights the club might get a share. 

Overall it seems like a great deal for VFC if you can play in a venue you sold to your landlords.

[SpursFlu]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I read, checking my data, that Langley paid 20 million for the stadium. I find that a lot of money, first of all. Then I think that is amazing that Friend, with a rather mediocre modular stadium from China, made money off a modest municipal government selling them that and they agreed with no public tender. 

Then VFC pays a lease, the city gets their % of concessions, I also read if they do naming rights the club might get a share. 

Overall it seems like a great deal for VFC if you can play in a venue you sold to your landlords.

Is it a mediocre modular stadium? Can you say you've seen a modular stadium before? I hadn't really heard of it before. Maybe temporary stands 

[Unnamed Trialist]

37 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Is it a mediocre modular stadium? Can you say you've seen a modular stadium before? I hadn't really heard of it before. Maybe temporary stands 

Yes, I have seen a modular stadium and modular stands before.

That means, amongst other things, that concrete is not poured (except as the base to set up on) and there is no permanent structural integrity. It is safe, but impermanent. It is modular because you could click in extra rows in any spot pretty well at will. You could reduce it. It could be picked up and taken elsewhere. From the back and beneath it is equivalent to scaffolding, on all three sides. It rattles a bit, more in some spots than others. The only solid buildings are the changerooms that were already there. 

Compare to that larger endstand at Starlight, or the main stand. They are not modular at all, they are permanent. Or better, the main stand is permanent, the end-stand has a structurally sound roof and then the seating below is closer to a temporary stand, but I forget to be honest. 

Edited February 19 by Unnamed Trialist

[Watchmen]

3 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I read, checking my data, that Langley paid 20 million for the stadium. I find that a lot of money, first of all. Then I think that is amazing that Friend, with a rather mediocre modular stadium from China, made money off a modest municipal government selling them that and they agreed with no public tender. 

Then VFC pays a lease, the city gets their % of concessions, I also read if they do naming rights the club might get a share. 

Overall it seems like a great deal for VFC if you can play in a venue you sold to your landlords.

Sure, could have been profitable for sixfive on the stadium sale.  I guess it depends a bit on how you want to treat the profitability of sixfive vs VFC.

FYI, VFC pays for the food trucks on game day, and then collects a % from them. I could not tell if you that's profitable for them or not.

[SpursFlu]

30 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Yes, I have seen a modular stadium and modular stands before.

That means, amongst other things, that concrete is not poured (except as the base to set up on) and there is no permanent structural integrity. It is safe, but impermanent. It is modular because you could click in extra rows in any spot pretty well at will. You could reduce it. It could be picked up and taken elsewhere. From the back and beneath it is equivalent to scaffolding, on all three sides. It rattles a bit, more in some spots than others. The only solid buildings are the changerooms that were already there. 

Compare to that larger endstand at Starlight, or the main stand. They are not modular at all, they are permanent. Or better, the main stand is permanent, the end-stand has a structurally sound roof and then the seating below is closer to a temporary stand, but I forget to be honest. 

So if I'm following yah I agree a permanent stand or stadium is better than a temporary or modular. I think we all agree on that. But building a permanent stadium is next to impossible and when you're talking about an unproven entity like the CPL and an unknown team it is impossible. So the process here is build a temp stadium. The city pays and the team commits to a lease and you're basically given 5 years to build the brand and awareness and if you can do that you now have an opportunity to sell the concept of a permanent facility to the public. A perfect example of that is HFX. So it's not like the town gave Vancouver FC 20 million dollars and they stuffed it in their pockets. It's more like a loan and opportunity to prove yourself as a viable commodity that could turn in to much more

[Unnamed Trialist]

15 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

So if I'm following yah I agree a permanent stand or stadium is better than a temporary or modular. I think we all agree on that. But building a permanent stadium is next to impossible and when you're talking about an unproven entity like the CPL and an unknown team it is impossible. So the process here is build a temp stadium. The city pays and the team commits to a lease and you're basically given 5 years to build the brand and awareness and if you can do that you now have an opportunity to sell the concept of a permanent facility to the public. A perfect example of that is HFX. So it's not like the town gave Vancouver FC 20 million dollars and they stuffed it in their pockets. It's more like a loan and opportunity to prove yourself as a viable commodity that could turn in to much more

The only argument is that instead of building impermanence, you commit to a facility that will be a legacy for the community going forward. They did that with the Langley Events Centre, I see they committed to spend even more for new ice rinks, they are spending over a hundred million. But on permanent facilities, because they can envision the use. 

Spending on a temporary stadium is a waste of money if you think, as they should, that having a building for outdoor sporting events and a decent public is worth it for the community. Most cities in the States and in Europe have no problem making such a decision.

In fact, if they had done something of substance, or were committed to it, they'd be leading the Valley in that regard. As is, it is easy for Surrey to come in and say, well no, that's not a precedent, we are going to do it right. 

[SpursFlu]

51 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

The only argument is that instead of building impermanence, you commit to a facility that will be a legacy for the community going forward. They did that with the Langley Events Centre, I see they committed to spend even more for new ice rinks, they are spending over a hundred million. But on permanent facilities, because they can envision the use. 

Spending on a temporary stadium is a waste of money if you think, as they should, that having a building for outdoor sporting events and a decent public is worth it for the community. Most cities in the States and in Europe have no problem making such a decision.

In fact, if they had done something of substance, or were committed to it, they'd be leading the Valley in that regard. As is, it is easy for Surrey to come in and say, well no, that's not a precedent, we are going to do it right. 

Sure but let's get real. It would be 20 yrs before you could pull something like that across the line. Hopefully that will eventually happen. I was there on opening day and 75% of the people were walking around confused about where they were and what they were watching. So it's an opportunity to build something, show its worth and then you actually have some leverage when dealing with these cities

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Sure but let's get real. It would be 20 yrs before you could pull something like that across the line. Hopefully that will eventually happen. I was there on opening day and 75% of the people were walking around confused about where they were and what they were watching. So it's an opportunity to build something, show its worth and then you actually have some leverage when dealing with these cities

No, you are right. Just my frustration I guess with how easy it is to build an icerink with stands and how hard a soccer facility. 

Thing is, since Surrey has been coming up with plans, often ambitious ones, for a stadium, what could happen is that Langley will prove there is a core interest, and Surrey will step and make the definitive investment in a permanent facility for soccer-CDN football-rugby and what-not.