Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3 - Page 320

WhipperSnapper · #**6381** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 10:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The SkyDome. Sold it for a song to Rogers Communications. At least it's still very much active and will be getting significant investment as part of the refresh.

For a song? The construction costs are irrelevant. You don't own the land and the zoning only allows stadium usage. How much resale value do you think there is?

WhipperSnapper · #**6382** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 10:35 PM**

BMO is what it is. Toronto doesn't need more. The city will still gladly accept 2 billion dollars from fellow Canadians to build a flashy new stadium comparable to Russia or Qatar. Otherwise, let's move on. The alternatives to Toronto aren't great either. Edmonton's is a well cared for 50 year old multi-use stadium. Montreal is a disaster. Winnipeg and Saskatoon have the newest, flashiest stadiums but the markets are a fraction the size of Torontos. The stadiums are small too. The stadium is an important physical presence to an international audience. The game itself is only a small part of the revenue generating events.

The minor league BMO Field will have zero lasting impact on how the world sees Canada right now.

esquire · #**6383** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 11:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

For a song? The construction costs are irrelevant. You don't own the land and the zoning only allows stadium usage. How much resale value do you think there is?

How much did it cost to build? If it collapsed, how much would Rogers shell out on a replacement?

Look at those numbers to get some idea as to its actual value. It was pretty well given away.

Djeffery · #**6384** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 11:18 PM**

I know I don't remember any embarrassing looking stadiums in prior World Cups. I'm sure there were some. You are barely going to see more than the bottom dozen rows of seats anyway, and the times you see a wider angle from the field, all it will be is a sea of people.

JHikka · #**6385** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 11:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I know I don't remember any embarrassing looking stadiums in prior World Cups. I'm sure there were some.

Everybody's favourite, Ekaterinburg Stadium from Russia 2018:

Corinthians Stadium from Brazil 2014 also had a jutting-out stand:

Doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

thewave46 · #**6386** Posted **Aug 16, 2022, 11:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

How much did it cost to build? If it collapsed, how much would Rogers shell out on a replacement?

Look at those numbers to get some idea as to its actual value. It was pretty well given away.

SkyDome? Cost: $570m (1989), $1.2b (2022).

It was sold to Labatt for $151m ($270m 2022 dollars) in 1994.

So, yeah, province of Ontario taxpayers ate that one. Tasty. A new stadium of comparable function (domed ballpark) would likely cost a similar amount. Globe Life Field - opened in 2020 - cost $1.1b USD as a comparable example.

esquire · #**6387** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 12:35 AM**

^ What adds insult to injury for Ontario taxpayers is that the new owners have stopped letting the stadium function as what it is... a multi-purpose venue. (I guess we're all expected to pretend that Skydome is a pure baseball venue like Camden Yards?)

And of course the upshot of that is that the same taxpayers now have to support the not-insignificant costs for the expansion and upgrades of the local frankenstadium into something that meets the minimum FIFA standards for the World Cup, since it can't happen at Skydome even though it's obviously a venue that is better suited to an event like the World Cup in terms of functionality and image.

elly63 · #**6388** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 1:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewave46

SkyDome? Cost: $570m (1989), $1.2b (2022).

It was sold to Labatt for $151m ($270m 2022 dollars) in 1994.

The price kept falling from there. In 1998, Sportsco International LP paid $85 million for the venue. Rogers Communications, which had bought the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000, threw in another $25 million four years later and got the stadium, too.

many · #**6389** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 1:53 AM**

And if you were to buy Rogers Centre today it would be even less because outside of owing the blue jays no one would buy or be interested in buying a 30 year old decrepit building that has no value u don’t own the land Rogers Centre value is worthless

blueandgoldguy · #**6390** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 2:44 AM**

Oof! That picture of BMO Field with the expanded seats.

Well one city has to have the worst stadium at the World Cup and I guess that honour belongs to Toronto by a landslide. Those stadiums in Brazil and Russia look much cooler than BMO Field despite some temporary seats so it's not an appropriate comparison.

I'm sure many Canadians like myself worry what the rest of the world will think of Canada when they see those aerial shots of BMO Lego Field during World Cup games and collectively state, "IS that the best Canada can do!?"

logan5 · #**6391** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 3:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Oof! That picture of BMO Field with the expanded seats.

Well one city has to have the worst stadium at the World Cup and I guess that honour belongs to Toronto by a landslide. Those stadiums in Brazil and Russia look much cooler than BMO Field despite some temporary seats so it's not an appropriate comparison.

I'm sure many Canadians like myself worry what the rest of the world will think of Canada when they see those aerial shots of BMO Lego Field during World Cup games and collectively state, "IS that the best Canada can do!?"

More like they will say "IS that the best Toronto Can do!" It will probly be a bit surprising for people outside Canada to see that 2nd rate stadium in Canada's biggest city. Vancouver, with it's stadium in the middle of a densely populated downtown, will present much better than Toronto and a lot of American cities with their stadiums surrounded by parking lots and not much else.

elly63 · #**6392** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 3:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

More like they will say "IS that the best Toronto Can do!" It will probably be a bit surprising for people outside Canada to see that 2nd rate stadium in Canada's biggest city. Vancouver, with it's stadium in the middle of a densely populated downtown, will present much better than Toronto and a lot of American cities with their stadiums surrounded by parking lots and not much else.

Stole my post

FrankieFlowerpot · #**6393** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 3:33 AM**

Dalreg · #**6394** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 4:34 AM**

Woof! Guess this kills Toronto's chance for the next half century to host any other major sporting event.

Denscity · #**6395** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 5:22 AM**

It'll show that Toronto isn't that into soccer.

JHikka · #**6396** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 12:23 PM**

Can't tell if these posts are satire or not.

J.OT13 · #**6397** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 12:38 PM**

Brazil's stadium looks like a bigger BMO.

itom 987 · #**6398** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 1:53 PM**

It actually is quite embarrassing for a big city like Toronto.

thurmas · #**6399** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 1:56 PM**

Old exhibition stadium looked better than this lego awning monstrosity tim hortons field looks better than this

esquire · #**6400** Posted **Aug 17, 2022, 2:00 PM**

BMO is fine for MLS, CFL, CANMNT and whatever else. It's well suited to those kinds of mid-major uses. But it is kind of a weird option for a prominent international event like the World Cup.

It would be like if the Prime Minister came to your house to make an announcement with media in town, and you hosted him in the basement rumpus room with tattered old couch and posters on the wall instead of in the living room with the "good" furniture.

But I suppose Rogers won't share Skydome, so what other choice is there?