An improved Saputo Stadium would cost between $75M and $100M (Translated)
Jeremy Filosa 98.5 Sports March 3, 2022
Over the past five years, no less than nine new stadiums have been erected in MLS, each one always newer and more modern than the last. The further you go, the more the stadiums of the Garber circuit are expensive and luxurious.
This means that Stade Saputo, which was built in 2008 and improved in 2012, is already starting to struggle. Once again this year, the same problem occurs, we still have to start the season at Olympic Stadium, because Stade Saputo is still not ready for winter.
Owner Joey Saputo is well aware of the problem and has been trying for several years to remedy this situation. In the long term, it will not be viable for CF Montreal to continue to compete with other MLS teams if the club continues to play in Stade Saputo, in its current state.
According to our information, Saputo worked with the Populous and Espace Construction firms to create sketches that show Stade Saputo with all the improvements.
The first was made in 2017, then an improved version dates from a few years ago. The club also surveyed more than 1,000 fans last fall to find out what improvements they would like to see made at Stade Saputo.
Increase revenue
The first major change was to add the number of premium tickets to the stadium. So we were going to destroy the northern section of the stadium, from the press gallery (Sherbrooke Street) upwards. It was planned to raise four floors of luxury glass boxes, a section that we wanted to call the "club" section.
In these sections, a ticket can sell for a few hundred dollars, which is much more than a regular ticket.
In most MLS stadiums, 15% of the tickets are premium value, which is where most of the profit is. The wealthiest teams collect around 50% to 70% of their income via these tickets.
Right now, at Saputo Stadium, only 6% of seats are considered premium. A clear delay compared to the other stadiums of the league. CF Montreal would rather target 12% to 14% of premium seats.
In recent years, some tickets, such as those in the BMO Lounge sections, have been upgraded to premium, but we're only talking about a few hundred tickets here.
According to our information, some at the Olympic Park would not be enthusiastic about the idea of seeing a structure come to partially hide the tower of the Olympic Stadium.
In addition to the club section, the intention was to move the players' entrance to the field to the center of the north section, and no longer to the northwest corner. Premium sections around this access were also planned.
There is also work to be done all around the stadium to increase electrical capacity, add food concessions, terraces and bathrooms. Not to mention the improvement of the two entrances to the stadium.
Ideas that have been abandoned
A major problem for Joey Saputo is that his stadium is only used 18 to 20 times per season. To make it profitable, the club thought of holding other events there. At one point, there was even talk of inviting the Alouettes to play their games there.
But it would have been necessary to replace the benches closest to the field with removable seats, because currently the field is not large enough to accommodate a CFL club. There is also the problem of the natural ground which would take for its cold if a football team settled there.
So if it's not football, then you have to find other events. Concerts would also be difficult to organize.
Saputo also considered extending the roof of the stadium in order to cover all the seats. But according to our information, the structure is not able to support the weight necessary for this, and the garage located directly under the stadium would also prevent it. At best, we could cover only the north platform.
When will the Stadium be winterized?
As mentioned above, unlike Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton, for example, Stade Saputo is not designed for winter.
Replacing the playing surface with a heated pitch isn't the biggest challenge, but it's a problem that's pointless to fix if the rest isn't done.
What's the point of having a heated surface if the rest of the stadium is unusable. Remember that the plumbing is not functional during the winter and the benches are not designed to be used on cold days either. They may also need to be replaced. Everything must be done to make it usable.
So, for now, no pun intended, the winterization of the stadium remains on the ice.
Why not proceed now?
According to our information, we are talking here about a total project of between $75 million and $100 million. An amount that the Saputo family would be ready to pay 100%, without asking for government assistance. Which is quite rare.
To date, Stade Saputo has cost a total of $63 million, of which $40 million has been paid by the Saputos and $23 million by taxpayers.
On the other hand, the big boss of CF Montreal has never hidden his dismay vis-à-vis the taxes he must pay annually on the structure. Not to be confused, we are talking here about property taxes and not taxes.
98.5 Sports was present at the Municipal Court of Montreal in 2019 when the lawyers of the Impact and those of the City of Montreal shook hands following an agreement in relation to previous taxes.
It was a small victory for Joey, but in reality he only gained points with Center Nutrilait, and not much with Stade Saputo. He earned nothing on the taxes that would have to be paid in subsequent years.
A contract that no longer works
What is special is that Saputo must pay property taxes on a stadium that does not belong to him. When he had the stadium built on the grounds of the Olympic Park, he signed a 40-year emphyteutic lease, of which the first 14 years are behind us.
In this type of agreement, it is the tenant who pays the annual taxes and all other related taxes. When it was first designed, the Stadium was just a field with bleachers around it. It must be said that before the construction of the stadium, the empty lot at the corner of Sherbrooke and Viau did not generate a penny.
Over the years, Saputo continued to inject funds and the amphitheater became a stadium, and grew in value. It goes without saying that the tax bill has also increased. And if Saputo proceeds with these improvements again, it risks having to pay approximately $2 million to $4 million more annually.
If Saputo sells the team, it will not be able to go through with the transaction, with the aim of reimbursing itself. The Stadium will continue to belong to the Olympic Park despite a massive injection of funds from it. So what to do?
Could Saputo go to court to try to put an end to the agreement? Hard to say, emphyteutic leases are not easy to break.
According to our information, in 2004, when the Uniprix Stadium (now IGA) was renovated, it was also the subject of a long lease. But finally, an agreement with the City of Montreal was reached, allowing the work to take place.
Is there such a solution in the maps for Saputo? Let's hope so, because the fate of the franchise depends on it. Without an agreement, there is little chance that the work will go ahead.
During a press briefing last week, Commissioner Don Garber reacted to the works which must be started and which have not yet been .
“Several pitfalls stand in front of him (Saputo). Its agreement for its stadium is unique and practically prevents it from investing more money there to continue to offer fans the most modern experience. I know Joey wants to proceed and he's very frustrated. But we limit him in what he can do, it must still remain logical and rational financially.
He nevertheless wanted to reiterate that, in his opinion, Joey Saputo remained his trusted man here in Montreal.
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but then how do you access them ect. would be a cool idea for additional 300 loge seats. knock down those walls and build a 5 foot platform around the arena but i think theirs lower hanging fruit in the press box level.
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