New Stadium for Montreal

anyone hear about this:

[url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/opinions/chroniqueurs/200904/07/01-844581-un-stade-a-lhippodrome.php]http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/opi ... odrome.php[/url] ?

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My french is awful, and so is Yahoo's translator, but isn't this about Quebec City changing its horse racing track into a stadium for soccer and CFL??

You got it. To be clear, it says its the mayor who is thinking about it. The idea is that someone in the community would bid on a USL franchise and the city would re-develop the stadium to hosue the team. The article also talks about the fact that Laval could play football there, and oh yeah, the CFL could play there too, thus justifying the expense.

Wonder if this is a reporter who knows a few people thinking of either bringing in a USL and/or CFL team and is floating a couple of ‘hypothetical ideas’ to see what the public response is.

Sorry i miss read it. yes this is Quebec

This is not a bad idea.

The group (Attractions Hippiques) that is taking care of all the Hippodromes in Quebec is in big financial trouble and is now closing slowly the different venues.

A joint bid/use of stadium for USL & CFL could work, while also creating a “natural rivalry” with Montreal for both leagues.

The only thing… is that the site they are talking about (Sulky Quebec) is way out of downtown (equal to downtown Ottawa & Kanata)…(location, location, location…)

If the new place is also used a venue for concerts, expositions (agricultural, cars, etc…) this could really work, even host the Vanier Cup…(Quebec PEPS is good (19K))…35K would be better…

Now, we only need to know if Mayor Régis Labeaume can make this work…

[b]Montreal, Mar. 8, 2009 - Deputy Premier and Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy Nathalie Normandeau, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Minister responsible for the Montréal region and MNA for Outremont Raymond Bachand, Mayor of Montréal Gérald Tremblay and President and CEO of the Montreal Alouettes, Mr. Larry Smith, are pleased to announce today that the financing for the Percival Molson Stadium expansion project has been approved and the stadium will be expanded to 25,000 seats in time for the 2010 CFL season.

The long-awaited project requiring a total investment of $29,355,000 will be funded with the Quebec government investing $19,331,065, the City of Montreal investing $4 million, and the final $6,023,935 tranche being underwritten by Alouettes' owner Bob Wetenhall. This private contribution by Bob Wetenhall demonstrates his enduring commitment to the Alouettes, the Montreal community and the CFL. The completion of this project ensures the viability and continuity of professional football in Montreal and the Province of Quebec for years to come.

“We are proud that Quebec, Montreal and the province’s thriving football community are able to count on the Quebec government and the City of Montreal to come together for a great project like the expansion of Percival Molson Stadium,? said Alouettes’ President and CEO, Mr. Larry Smith. “This project will ensure the viability of football in Quebec and the financial stability of the Montreal Alouettes for many years.?

As a result of this great project, the stadium will grow from 20,202 seats to 25,000, 18 new private loges will be built, and the stadium’s state-of-the-art video board will become a permanent installation.[/b]

This thread is R.F.U....LOL! and should be renamed Possible New 40 000 seat stadium in Quebec City

The Quebec City Horse race track is being looked at by the Mayor of Quebec to be redeveloped in to a 40 000 seat stadium. 25 million was invested in 2006 to renovate the main buliding that would be used as the main entrance and lux box, media of an outdoor stadium. Services, roads , parking everything is there even the lighting would need minimal changes in height and angles. The city wouldn't even need p3 partnership to put this together. The only problem is the current tennant is an federal senator who is currently seeking bankruptcy protection. Got to love those senators....politics, horse racing and gambling :wink:

So should the fine senator go bankrupt, Quebec City would look favorably at redeveloping it in to a stadium and one of the use tennants seeked would be a CFL franchise.

Here is the beautiful frontage of the building


This is what would look on to the field

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/569x379/200904/08/62417.jpg

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.... where are the stands?

Behind the glass.

If they build the football stadium out of the horse track would they keep the glass up like it is or maybe change it, seems like it would be a cost effective way to build a sheltered Stadium without the dome costs. I think the stadium would have a Montreal forum kinda feel to it by the looks of the exterior shots.

I don’t think you could ever completely close off the fans from the football field. It would totally kill the atmosphere.

just remove the glass, and u have a partly covered stadium.

Love the idea but Bad location

Vive les Stallions du Quebec!

Well, you can’t move the thing…and its built and its new… It isn’t a downtown stadium (would not be possible in QC anyway) but it isn’t “awful”.

How far away is this from the downtown? Are there any transit lines leading to the site?

Sorry I was talking about Montreal «New Stadium for Montreal» but it is about Quebec city.

It's not that big of a deal provided the infrastructure exists to handle the traffic. According to what's been posted here, that seems to be the case. It's not like an NHL arena where people are expected to come out at least 41 times per season (sometimes in bad winter weather).

Funny that you mention the NHL. If you check out the site on google maps, you can see that the Colisee Pepsi (where the Nordiques used to play) is right next door. The Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior League currently use the Colisee. It seems to me that this is a pretty good location, since a big part of infrastructure is already in place (i.e., parking for the Colisee) .