New Whitecaps Stadium to accomodate CFL sized field

[Hambone]

There's more rhetoric and inneundo here on this topic than in your average political campaign.

1) BC Place is now accepting bookings for 2012. One would assume at this time next year they'll be accepting bookings for 2013. The nature of the organization many of their events require is such commitments must be made several years in advance.
2) If Braley knew anything otherwise I highly doubt he'd keep it to himself. You'd be hearing about it and hearing about it loudly. If somebody took him aside and said "Psst! David. Dome's done in '12." he'd start screaming because unless there's a miniumum 35000 permanent seat facility to replace it on the drawing board his football team is virtually worthless.
3) Never has the premier or any other government official indicated that BC Place will be imploded once the Olympic flame is turned off.
4) The proposed Whitecap may be able to house a CFL sized field but as it is being proposed it cannot house a CFL sized crowd.
5) If it would be expandable to 30000 it is still barely adequate for current demands of the BC Lions. There were 37428 extra butts in BC Place who otherwise could not have been there if capacity was 30000 including 20000+ who went the Western Final.
6) What does "can be expanded to....." mean? Does it mean everything will be in place including access infrastructure to permanently expand? Or just capable of throwing in a bunch of temporary aluminum bleaches for a one off event such as a Grey Cup?
7) The reality is the Whitecaps and Lions will never make for a good match in sharing a stadium unless the Whitecaps get an MSL franchise an that results in a doubling of their fan base. Their respective needs are too much different. Caps need 15000 permanent seats and I would submit the Lions need a minimum of 35000. Realistically both would hope they can consistently sell over 90% of capacity to create a great atmosphere. However if the stadium became a 35000 seat facility the Whitecaps would be hard pressed to create any sort of atmosphere if they had 13000 rattling around. Remember the days of 18000 in BC Place for the Leos?

[David]

The reality is the Whitecaps and Lions will never make for a good match in sharing a stadium unless the Whitecaps get an MSL franchise an that results in a doubling of their fan base. Their respective needs are too much different. Caps need 15000 permanent seats and I would submit the Lions need a minimum of 35000. Realistically both would hope they can consistently sell over 90% of capacity to create a great atmosphere. However if the stadium became a 35000 seat facility the Whitecaps would be hard pressed to create any sort of atmosphere if they had 13000 rattling around. Remember the days of 18000 in BC Place for the Leos?

I strongly disagree. I think it makes total sense for the Whitecaps and Lions to share one facility. I don't share your optimism that BC Place will keep booking events ad infinitum. And when the day comes when the Liberal government (or whoever is in power) decides to replace BC Place with something that's going to generate suffient revenue (let's not forget that a lot of events are going to be booked into the spanking new convention centre once it's completed, so the $4 million annual losses become what? $6 million a year? $8 Million??), I don't see a second rezoning application for a Vancouver stadium receiving approval from City Hall. Former Mayor Larry Campbell lobbied hard to get both teams together but then retired from politics.

This from a 7/29/05 article in the Vancouver Sun by Bruce Constantineau:

"Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell said he wholeheartedly supports the Whitecaps' efforts to find a new home in Vancouver but questioned whether any new facility could make it as a soccer venue alone.

"I would like to see something that has soccer, track and maybe even the B.C. Lions," he said in an interview.

With Beckham now in the MLS and unbridled growth in North American soccer potentially on the horizon, you can be sure that Kerfoot and Lenarduzzi have set their long term goal on getting a franchise. They could play in the lower bowl for 15,000, while the Lions could occupy lower and upper bowls for say, 34,000 seats.

DH 8)