Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Stadium plan will be ready for council meeting: premier

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 12/8/2010 11:18 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 12/8/2010 5:41 PM | Updates

WINNIPEG — Premier Greg Selinger says there will be a stadium deal in place for city council to vote on at its Dec. 15 meeting.

The premier made the comments to reporters outside the legislature this afternoon.

"We think that there’s been a lot of excellent work been done by everybody, which should allow it to get to that stage," Selinger said of the impending announcement. "People would like to bring closure to the issue ... and people feel that they’re very close to having that situation in hand now," he said.

Selinger said the parties are working towards a guaranteed maximum price for the stadium.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz suggested earlier today that the deal to complete the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ new stadium at the University of Manitoba must be completed over the next few days

Speaking to reporters outside his office, Katz said the final deal must be completed soon in order to come before city council on Dec. 15. If that does not happen, Katz said it would take another six weeks for council to scrutinize a plan to complete the stadium project. Council could hold a special meeting to consider a plan if all parties can not wait until the first scheduled meeting of 2011, which is slated for Jan. 26.

The city, province, Winnipeg Football Club, university and David Asper’s Creswin Properties have been in talks for months about a way to complete a project originally pegged at $115 million but now expected to cost $200 million.

The outstanding issues include nailing down a cost for the project, figuring out who pays for it, determining whether the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a business plan that would allow the club to sustain more of the stadium-building debt and determining what role – if any – Creswin will play in the completion of the project. Currently the plan calls for a 33,000-seat stadium to rise at the northwest corner of Chancellor Matheson Road and University Crescent.

Katz said the city will not sign on to the deal without a guaranteed maximum price. He also said he is still looking over the Bombers’ business plan, noting he has expertise in the professional sports world. Katz is the majority owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The mayor said he would not divulge any other sticking points in the deal, suggesting the public would know soon enough – possibly as soon as Friday.

It is widely expected Creswin will be out of the project and will be compensated for expenses such as planning and engineering costs.

History

Updated on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 5:40 PM CST: Adds comment from Premier Selinger.

5:41 PM: Adds comment from Premier Selinger.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.