Here, about seven ninths of the way down.
[url=http://live.nationalpost.com/Event/Chat_Hamiltons_stadium_quandry?Page=1]http://live.nationalpost.com/Event/Chat ... dry?Page=1[/url]YOUNG: Of course stadium will be able to host a Grey Cup game. It could get up to 40,000 seats. Details to come.
Is that it? I also have a hard time understanding how Hamilton is going to be able to add 15,000 seats to a 25,000-seat stadium. :?
Apparently Ottawa will be able to do it with their 25000 seater, likely filling every available space in the end zones.
how can hamilton hold an event ( the grey cup ) that will attract 40,000+ in a residential area with no hotel and no highway access?
40,000 bus riders?
where are the grey cup festivities going to take place? some guys backyard?
are there enough front lawns for everyone to park?
This is so messed up..
I don't even know what to say, but after all this they decide to put lipstick on a pig?
Hopefully it works out, but I find the outcome of this whole debacle pretty ironic.
Bob Young is totally out to lunch if he thinks a 25,000 seat stadium is ok for grey cup.
Bob Young has caved.
Time for a new owner Hamilton
I disagree, this is a tough situation but it has a lot of positives. This is an excellent post from the Ticats forum:
[i]Let's be positive and upbeat like the caretaker, and come up with ideas to make this new direction work. I can see turning this into a destination location that combines the new stadium with the gritty Hamilton history to make it somewhat of a legendary place, like Lambeau, or Wrigley field. We have to establish a bar, cafe and restaurant sector so that people can go to same before and after games, which will tie in with the transporation ideas. Just like Locke Street, the James Street arts area, Concession Street, Ottawa Streets Garmet area, have had transformations that have made them "destination" locations, we can do it in the Barton or surrounding areas. Tap into the Italian, Polish and Ukrainian history of Barton Street between. The Portugese area is not far off. Many small cafe like locations can be set up in the little shops that dot Barton from Gage to Sherman. Make it the European dining area and tie it in with the Cats games and if soccer comes there, great fit, tying in a game that is popular with many of European backgrounds to the restaurants. Steal some of the Toronto St. Clair (Italian ideas) or Roncessavelles (Polish ideas). Have an ethnic street festival. If Consumer Glass is to go, that could be turned into a promenade of shops and restaurants. Look what other cities have done in former warehouse and industrial areas to re-invent a community. An entrepreneur should look at turning the only watering holes in the area, the Prince Eddie and the DIzzy Weasel into more inviting pubs. There is a piece of land for sale on the south side of Barton Street across from the sub shop, in the shadows of Ivor Wynne, how much did this piece of land go up in value today? What can one do with it (believe it used to be a used car lot)
Many American cities rely heavily on neighbourhood identification, something we are just scratching the surface of. We can tie in the stadium, the ethnicity and/or other hooks to make this a unique and desirable neighbourhood to spend some time and money in.[/i]
It will be apparently expandable to 40 000 like Ottawa’s stadium.
I still think it’s a bit on the small side for Grey Cup, but manageable.
This is Hamilton geroy, not Vancouver.
Funding just isn't there for a massive stadium anywhere we want it.This is all they could do and i'm happy with it.The Cats will be in Hamilton for the next 20 years, I could care less about whether we get to host Grey cup games or not.
Holding a Grey Cup in a 25,000 seat stadium with 15,000 temporary seats is an abomination of epic proportions. That would truly be a second rate Grey Cup for a second rate stadium.
I went to a couple Cats games in 2009, and this post made me laugh pretty hard. :lol: It’ll definitely be interesting to see the next Hamilton Grey Cup. :lol:
Why? Ottawa’s stadium will be expandable to about 40,000. Winnipeg’s new stadium will be expandable to 40,000. The stadium in Calgary is expandable to 46,000. Are suggesting that any city whose stadium can’t seat 50,000+ when expanded shouldn’t be allowed to host the Grey Cup?
ya know, if vancouver, toronto and montreal sell out 50+ every time, then that would be something to look at. Not sure if that happens though.
as far as the other stadiums expanding, I am not sure they start with only 25000?
and it remains to be seen how the final design and product allows for expansion.
Winnipeg’s new stadium will have over 33,000 permanent seats so the need for temporary seating will most likely be in the 5-7,000 range. In addition their stadium will be up to modern standards for access and facilities. This proposed renovation will fall short in those categories. (for at least half of the structure anyways). In Calgary, organizers jacked up ticket prices due to the relative smaller capacity of the stadium (of 35,000 permanent seats which would still trump this proposal by 10,000).
The Grey Cup is a chance for any particular franchise to cash in. The larger the number of temporary seats used, the less the overall profits gained from the stadium since temporary seats bring in roughly as much revenue as the overall cost is to rent/construct them. This speaks nothing of the obsolete concourses on the Northern side; that will not be replaced, and are inadequate at present capacity levels, let alone when you add another 10,000 fans to it.
The north stands won't be torn down but WILL be renovated.All the rest of the stadium will be torn down and replaced.
Still hope that they leave room for those crazy Saskie fans to park their 2,000 RV's, love hanging out with them before a game :thup:
Do we know all the details yet? Maybe part of the plan is to expropriate land and build infrastructure.
I had always wondered about doing something like this. If you remember, the orginial idea for Winnipeg was to build half a stadium outside of Winnipeg Stadium during the season, then demolish the old one after the end of the season and have the second half built in time for the following season. I thought they might have had room in Brian Timmis Stadium to try someting like this, but I guess not. Half a new stadium is better than none so I'll try and be happy about it, but I'm not convinced that this is the best solution. But, acquiring some the adjoining property to expand the stadium footprint would be a good idea and how about buying up all the property between Beechwood and Barton and creating a large plaza in front of the rebuilt north stand. Expensive yes, but Bob wants maxium visibilty and that would certainly accomplish that for anyone driving down Barton. I always thought that the stadium was a bit cramped in that location. And who knows, if they manage to pull off a miracle with renovating the existing site, it could be a catalyst for rejuvenating the entire neighbourhood. It could use it.
I hope there's more to come. Seems kind of a waste to spend all that and end up with a smaller stadium. I hope they are planning on future expansion!
What’s your source for that claim? If temporary seats cut into the profit then why put them up in the first place.
BTW, for at least two GCs hosted by Winnipeg there have been about 15,000 temporary seats erected. I don’t recall hearing any complaints about those seats.
Age and comfort of the stadium has nothing to do with GCs (contrary to unsourced rumours). Mark Cohon was on a Regina radio station recently and said that Regina doesn’t need a new stadium to host a GC.