Residents punt new stadium

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This article was published 24/08/2010 (5908 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Noise. Traffic. Hooligans.

Tina Ulrich thought she’d escaped those hassles after she left her West End home near the Maroons Road football stadium.

But for the 33-year-old Fort Richmond resident, the news a Canadian Football League facility for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is headed to the University of Manitoba means more headaches.

"I was like, are they following me?… I’m very aware of how noisy it’s going to be," she said at the Richmond Kings Community Centre Monday night.

Ulrich was one of about 300 neighbourhood residents gathered to express their opposition to the stadium. An overflow crowd forced about 100 people to stand outside in a parking lot.

Ulrich said she and her family plan to move again, in part due to the new 33,000-seat stadium planned for Chancellor Matheson Road and University Crescent.

"I liked this neighbourhood and I moved here because it’s nice and it’s quiet and it’s near an academic environment, not a football stadium or an arena."

The Fort Richmond Coalition that organized the town hall meeting says it has signed up more than 600 people on a petition against the stadium.

Creswin Properties has partnered with the city, province, football club and university to build the new stadium, but Creswin is responsible for any cost overruns for the $115-million project.

The Free Press reported last week a canopy that was supposed to cover most of the stands could be abandoned after final costs are worked out. At the meeting Monday night, people passed around orange leaflets with a banner headline saying "This isn’t the stadium Creswin promised."

However, Creswin president Daniel Edwards said the canopy would only have a "nominal" impact on controlling noise.

He did not prepare a formal presentation for the event. He said some residents were initially concerned about traffic and parking on game day, along with noise concerns.

The project is in the middle of tendering right now, closing by mid-September. Edwards said it’s "a little early" to talk about whether the canopy will proceed.

"Once we have all the tendered results in, we’ll be able to sit down with the various stakeholders…. The stadium is owned by the province and the city, and the university ultimately, and they need to be part of that decision-making process," he said. "It’s a delicate situation because you’re using taxpayer dollars and they want to make sure that money’s being handled properly."

Some residents are angry about the potential for snaking traffic they fear will choke their streets. Andre Hamel, a 49-year-old scientist who works at the university, said he is "totally against" the stadium, but he doesn’t hold out much hope for getting it moved.

"It’s a done deal," he said.

St. Norbert MLA Marilyn Brick said she was there to listen. She said the design isn’t finalized.

"I’m here to hear what my constituents’ concerns are so that I can make sure I can bring those concerns back to the premier and to the cabinet and to our caucus, and so that they’re aware of what the issues are."

The mayor was not at the meeting, nor was Justin Swandel, who is councillor for the St. Norbert ward.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca