UPDATE: June 2008
Whitecaps to move to B.C. Place with a five year lease. The B.C. Place deal is the perfect "Win-Win" situation.
The Whitecaps will gain a new downtown stadium with fantastic public transit access. The stadium that will hold 45,000 spectators and will be designed with soccer in mind.
but the Whitecaps insist that they still want build another stadium just a few blocks away...
The Vancouver Whitcaps are looking to obtain public waterfront land in order to a construct a massive platform that will contain a hotel, the stadium and up to six 26+ story commercial/condo towers. It is now clear that the stadium is a Trojan horse to be used in order to realize their real estate ambitions and to circumvent public process.
"Stadium Plan Includes Condos - Waterfront Soccer venue just part of shrewd development proposal" Vancouver Sun page 1, April 30, 2008.
Which waterfront do you want?
massive stadium and tower development
or................
preserve our public waterfront
Central Waterfront Coalition - Preserving a Central Waterfront for Everybody
Vancouver . British Columbia . Canada
In early 2006 the Central Waterfront Coalition was formed to organize against the proposed 30,000 seat waterfront soccer stadium/entertainment facility. The Central Waterfront is the last undeveloped public waterfront in Vancouver, BC. The land is located between the North end of Main Street and Canada Place. Currently, the Vancouver Port Authority, a federal agency, is the steward of our public waterfront.
What you can do to save our public waterfront - Click here
The Central Waterfront Coalition is united around two fundamental issues:
1) We support a liveable Central Waterfront for everyone
2) We are against the proposed waterfront stadium/entertainment facility.
Proposed entertaiment complex location
The Vancouver Whitecaps are trying to gain control of the public lands of the Central Waterfront. The stadium's original proposed location over the private lands of the rail yard was found to be unworkable. A second site, where the Seabus terminal is, was also rejected. The third proposed location is in the middle of the public land of the Central Waterfront. If built, the stadium's footprint would consume most of the public land and would require both infilling of the harbour and the construction of an extensive road network - including elevated ramps.
It is time for Vancouverites to choose the future of our last undeveloped public waterfront. If the Vancouver Port Authority no longer needs the land for designated port's uses then we have to decide between a public greenspace for the year round enjoyment by all ........or a massive privately owned concrete monolith with limited use, by a few, only during the summer months.
How big will the stadium be?
The building will massive! The proposed Whitecaps stadium will be at least 120 feet tall. To get an idea how of this would look, the following photo shows a temporary 85 ft light stand used during a night of filming. Imagine a massive stadium spanning two city blocks and 50 % taller than the light shown in the photo.
The Central Waterfront is the wrong location for a massive stadium.
What the independent experts say:
“In my opinion they have located it (the stadium) in the worst place possible. It’s crazy and doesn’t make any sense.”
Arthur Erickson, Architect, Member of the Order of Canada,
The Vancouver Sun, May 25, 2006
"Building a new stadium does not deliver long term
results. A stadium will bring increased attendance for five
years, the most in the first year and gradually dropping
over the five years, and will return to the attendance
levels you had in your old stadium. The stadium novelty
effect is almost down to a law"
Norman
O'Reilly,
The Director of the School of Sports Administration at
Laurentian University.
The Vancouver Sun, September 1, 2007
"the stadium … is in fact detrimental in its urban
design relationship to the heritage values of the
neighbouring urban fabric and the historic connection to
the waterfront"
Vancouver
Heritage Commission,
Vancouver
Heritage Commission Report, April, 24,
2006
