Football stadium a done deal

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/03/2010 (5650 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers should have a new home in time for the 2012 CFL season, as the province, city and David Asper’s Creswin Properties have struck a deal to get shovels in the ground at the University of Manitoba this summer.

Premier Greg Selinger and Mayor Sam Katz have called a 10 a.m. press conference at Canad Inns Stadium to reveal details of their plan to allow a new football stadium to rise in Fort Garry before Creswin assembles the upscale Polo Park mall it originally needed to fund the $135-million stadium and recreation project.

The province will provide financing to kick-start the stadium plan, which has been in jeopardy since last fall, when Creswin asked for more time to secure tenants for The Elms.

Back in April, when the stadium deal was originally announced, the province planned to contribute $15 million toward a new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Manitoba Bisons, plus another $5 million to refurbish University Stadium and build a new fitness centre at the U of M. Ottawa also committed $15 million, but only for the amateur sport and fitness components.

The updated deal should see the province reduce its funding commitment, in exchange for providing stadium-construction cash up front. The city would act as insurance should Creswin fail to assemble its retail project down the road.

The deal would also make room for David Asper to assume control of the non-profit Winnipeg Football Club, provided Creswin succeeds in building The Elms and also buys out the stadium’s debt.

Asper will get a seat on the Bomber board immediately and have a voice in the construction of the stadium, the price tag of which was originally pegged at $115 million.

The urgency behind the deal stems from the increasing cost of running a Canadian Football League franchise out of 57-year-old Canad Inns Stadium, which faces a $52-million maintenance tab over the next decade just to remain in its current state, Selinger told reporters earlier this week.

"At a certain point, you have to decide whether you’re going to put more money into the old car or get a new one," Selinger said. "And I think the feeling is that when it comes to the stadium, it’s maybe time to move on to a new one."

Every year the team remains in Canad Inns Stadium costs it more money, the club maintains, as the aging facility also provides less concession revenue than more modern buildings can offer.

The Winnipeg Football Club is also bracing for the results of an inquest into the 2006 death of Andrew Szabo, a fan who fell from the stands during a game. The inquest report, expected soon, may require the team to make additional safety upgrades.

By agreeing to finance the stadium, the province will be choosing between one of two politically unpalatable options: allow the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to drift back into financial instability, or pay for a sports facility at a time when it’s freezing wages and forecasting budget deficits.

To soothe its critics, the province may use a funding mechanism called tax increment financing. This would see grants paid up front in lieu of future property-tax revenue that would flow from the project — and allow the NDP to claim it’s only spending tax dollars it would not have received if there was no new stadium.

Former premier Gary Doer, however, promised this arrangement would not be applied to a football stadium, despite claims to the contrary by Opposition leader Hugh McFadyen.

 

— With files from Larry Kusch

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

 

What was promised…

(The stadium plan, as promised in April 2009)

The deal

$20 million from province, including $5 million for U of M recreation upgrades

$15 million from Ottawa, dedicated to U of M recreation upgrades

About $100 million from Creswin

City to sell Canad Inns Stadium site to Creswin at full market value

Entire plan hinges upon Creswin’s ability to build shopping mall The Elms at current stadium site — and use profits to fund construction

Asper to assume control of the Winnipeg Football Club, once The Elms is fully financed

 

The stadium

30,000 seats, with cup holders, expandable to 45,000 seats

Sunken playing field, eight metres below ground

Wrap-around bowl with weather protection for 80 per cent of fans

Covered, ground-level concourse with 360-degree views of field from concession areas

Escalators and accessibility based on Canadian disability standards

Seasonal inflatable "bubble" for amateur sports and community recreation

"Top-quality" concessions, a restaurant and sports lounge

Enhanced washrooms

Private suites and group event facilities

Blue Bomber Hall of Fame and upgraded Bomber and Bison retail store

Interactive fan and player art inside, exterior art of Bomber championships

"Elite training centres" dedicated for use by Bombers and Bisons

Team offices and media centre

5,600 existing on-campus parking spaces with reserved stalls for season ticket holders

"Fan-Tram service" to transport fans to and from stadium and campus parking lots

 

The Elms

Canad Inns Stadium site to be demolished

Construction of upscale retail centre on Polo Park stadium site

 

U of M recreation upgrades

Refurbishment of existing seating, washroom and locker-room facilities at University Stadium

New "world-class fitness centre" for U of M and community use to replace "Gritty Grotto"

 

 

Where we are now…

The stadium deal as it stands today:

 

The deal

Construction to begin before The Elms is complete

Province to provide financing, likely in exchange for reduced contribution

Asper could still own Bombers, if he eventually completes The Elms

City to serve as insurance policy if Creswin fails

 

The stadium

Sources have offered conflicting reports, with some saying the stadium design has been scaled back and others suggesting only the provincial contribution has been reduced.

— Lawless and Kives