This Year's Attendace

[mikem]

The one thing I like about the NFL endzones being 10 yards is that when you are sat in the end zone your so close to the action.
Players jumping into them endzone seats.
The CFL with the 20 yard end zones and the 10 yards or so warning track leaves you a long way from the playing field when you are sat in the end zone. And when you look down the 10 yard warning track, the 20 yard end zone and then the 110 yard field it's a long way to the other end.

[mikem]

@"kicker"

@"mikem"

As for expandable, someone can correct me if I’m wrong but it was my understanding that because of the building code that they can only put in temporary seats for special events such as the Grey Cup.
Temporary end zone seats can not be added to the stadium permanently, is a non-starter for that area.

I don’t believe the Building Code has requirements that appreciably differ depending on whether we’re talking about temporary or permanent seating; particularly as it relates to occupant loads and exiting.

What a shame it would be if they designed and built something like this and not do it in such a way that it provides the opportunity to permanently expand the seating capacity if the powers that be so chose.

I haven’t seen the RFP’s performance specs so I can only rely on what Scott Mitchell was quoted in the local media as saying which basically was along the lines that even though they would open the facility with 22,500 seats, they could always add more seats in the future.

When I read that, I took that to infer permanent seats.

I was reading the Stadium City Report that was put out by the city in Jan 011. They talk about the stadium being zoned for sports not entertainment and if they re-zone for entertainment then all seats in the North stands had to be changed and upgraded to make the code. Of course that changed with tearing down of the north stands but it still lead me to believe that the stadium cannot support "permanent seats’ beyond the 22,500

[url=http://www.nationalpost.com/documents/2011/01/hamilton_stadium_report.pdf]http://www.nationalpost.com/documents/2 ... report.pdf[/url]

[Earl]

@"mikem"

The one thing I like about the NFL endzones being 10 yards is that when you are sat in the end zone your so close to the action.
Players jumping into them endzone seats.
The CFL with the 20 yard end zones and the 10 yards or so warning track leaves you a long way from the playing field when you are sat in the end zone. And when you look down the 10 yard warning track, the 20 yard end zone and then the 110 yard field it’s a long way to the other end.

I’ve sat in the endzone at IWS and the Big O and never found a problem seeing the action and my eyesight isn’t even perfect. I prefer our more manly field size than the dinky American one even if it’s not as easy for players to jump into the stands for a fake celebration (I understand that Packer players are told to do this or else face some repercutions from the team. And maybe that’s not the only team)

That being said, I personally if I was the CFL with the new stadiums being built gone for a 15 yard end zone just to tighten things up a bit for those that might need this perspective. Obviously not a priority for the league and I get that.

[CaptainKirk]

@"mikem"

The one thing I like about the NFL endzones being 10 yards is that when you are sat in the end zone your so close to the action.
Players jumping into them endzone seats.
The CFL with the 20 yard end zones and the 10 yards or so warning track leaves you a long way from the playing field when you are sat in the end zone. And when you look down the 10 yard warning track, the 20 yard end zone and then the 110 yard field it’s a long way to the other end.

Not sure if you saw this in another thread…

[url=http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/816969--it-ll-always-be-about-football]http://www.thespec.com/news/local/artic ... t-football[/url]

In some cases, like the vast entryway plaza off Cannon Street, the larger space will paradoxically promote closeness. [b]That plaza is slightly higher than the field [/b]and will afford an immediate, stimulating view of players preparing for the game as fans enter the stadium. And [b]the edge of the plaza is [u]only nine feet[/u] from the back of the end zone[/b].

Yeeouch! For the players sake, I hope it's not a wall. Hopefully the front row overhangs at the 9 ft distance so that any player running full speed would go right under that 9 ft edge.

http://media.thespec.com/images/47/7e/cf298ac94b98a484458ab83a0da6.jpg

http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQD3rnpkNS4w4pXE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvthumb.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhvthumb-ak-ash3%2Fs403x403%2F50889_10100440425266757_10100440421978347_53040_1006_b.jpg&jq=100

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/483111_10151271733169414_1707907386_n.jpg

[Earl]

I'd like to know what some NFL stadiums allow at the end zone for this space?

[kicker]

@"Earl"

For sure kicker, that would be a shame as you say if that happened. Along the lines of MLSE having BMO Stadium concreted at the one end making it very difficult and costly to make the field able to accomodate Canadian football.

Surely though they won’t make such a mistake here with the seating for IWS2. :?

money talks…

MLSE was the only party (other than the City of Toronto) at the table with major dollars to put up for construction of BMO at the time, so they got their way and they built a soccer specific stadium with seating tight to the end line (in soccer the end zone seats are considered pretty good seats and draw a relatively higher ticket price when compared to North American football).

If the Argos had stepped up at the time and got on board with a comparable chunk of cash then the design would have been different and you would have had a facility and field shared between TFC and the Argos.

[kicker]

@"mikem"

I was reading the Stadium City Report that was put out by the city in Jan 011. They talk about the stadium being zoned for sports not entertainment and if they re-zone for entertainment then all seats in the North stands had to be changed and upgraded to make the code. Of course that changed with tearing down of the north stands but it still lead me to believe that the stadium cannot support "permanent seats’ beyond the 22,500

[url=http://www.nationalpost.com/documents/2011/01/hamilton_stadium_report.pdf]http://www.nationalpost.com/documents/2 ... report.pdf[/url]

mikem - I’m guessing you are referring to this portion of the report:

However, if there is a "change of use" from a sports purpose-built facility to a multi-use entertainment facility (i.e. for concert events) then there would be additional life safety and performance requirements applicable to the entire facility. This would include the north stands whether or not any renovations were undertaken on it. These requirements could include extension of sprinklers, fire alarm, standpipes and emergency lighting, etc. Without this work, these types of events (i.e. concerts) would not be permissible in the new stadium.

If that is what your are referrring to, then its a non-issue as you well know. They decided to replace the N stands entirely.

[cflsteve]

It would be ahame if the building codes did not allow for additional seating to be added temporary or permanent. The Ivory Wynn that is being torn now has 29,000+ seats with temp seats often added for Labor day to get to 30,000. So if the zoning has stayed the same then expanding to 30,000 should not be an issue whether it is just seasonal temp seating for CFL games or adding an additional 5,000 permanent. As this has become an issue the answer may follow soon. But as someone mentioned the early reports were that the stadium being built to that capacity was a great starting point with the option of adding other seats later as needed.
It would seem to make sense but as we know things that make sense do not always happen but with the structure being built with that open area it suggests adding extra seating would be part of the plan for any games not just the grey cup. I am sure that the Labor Day game would need more seating as well as any home playoff game.