http://whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/02/new-bc-place-scheduled-be-complete-september-30 Figured I would pass it on since we are all discussing stadiums these days.
so is this the point at which it makes little to no sense to play any games at BC Place until next season? what would be the point of doing the nightmare logistics of transferring all of the season ticket holders and seats over to BC Place for one month of play? (let's be honest the Caps aren't likely making the playoffs). wouldn't you get more bang for you buck just to have a big tado and open the 2012 season in the brand new spanking BC Place?
Not if you have to start paying for the new construction. I would guess they will want as much revenue in the new building as possible. I do admit it is a bit odd, but if their schedule is back loaded with home games - could be nice way to finish the first season and have to start selling or next year.
Season tickets were sold based on the BC Place seating chart, so there wont be any logistical issues at all. If anything the issue will be transferring that to the Empire Stadium layout for the start of the season.
its 1 of the reasons that the caps are having a bad time of doing the season tickets-- 2 stadium season and a good response to STs, plus staff that seem unable to handle the extra load of going into MLS
i just don't see how uprooting the whole game day experience from Empire to BC Place for the last 4 games is really useful. it will be a hassle for the fans who will be used to a game day experience at Empire and i am sure that even with STs sold based on BC Place there will be some serious logistics to move the site of home games from one location to the other. from security to vendors to general operations. give the fans something exciting to look forward to going in to 2012. it makes it a bigger event than just cramming in the last few games of a season that, honestly, might be well over by that time for the Caps. and i am not sure of the upside? it isn't like the crowds at BC will be larger than at Empire, both have roughly equivalent capacities and the rent/revenue situation is probably identical since the Caps are in similar tenant situation in both places. it just makes no sense to do the move so late for so few games to me. mid season? not ideal but okay that i could see? beginning of October? that just sounds foolish.
What sounds "foolish" is spending half a billion dollars to retrofit a stadium and turn it into a state of the art world-class venue and not use it...
Wasn't it initially supposed to be finished earlier in the season? I didn't think Vancouver was planning on playing at Empire for 80% of the season.
Umm, you're obviously not from Vancouver. Empire Stadium sucks, and the location is awful, awful, awful. Almost literally the worst place within Vancouver city limits to try and have to get people to. The "game day experience" at BC Place, even with snafus, will be noticeably better than the best day at Empire. (And I used to go to games at the original Empire back in the day, so I am saying all this even with fond memories of the old stadium...)
Rio Tinto Stadium opened on October 9. Granted, SL was paying a hefty rental fee at Rice-Eccles, and they were going to be in the playoffs, but it's not like this would be a first. Pizza Hut Park opened on August 6 (worth noting that the season did end a week earlier that year than it did in 2010). if anything, it might actually be worth a small attendance boost at the end of the season if the Caps are out of the mix. it will be the first MLS match indoors, no?
Probably the first stand alone MLS match indoors. If I'm not mistaken, the Dynamo played some double headers at Reliant.
Slightly off topic, but are the Whitecaps still trying to convince the city to let them build a stadium on the Waterfront?
They were in the playoff mix but did not clinch until the final day of the season IIRC. So it is not like the RSL brass knew they would be hosting playoff games. I think they did however have an earlier confirmed completion date.
Does that mean BC Place is thought of as the permanent (or long term, I guess) home for the Whitecaps? Does the team have a favorable lease in terms of revenue capture at that stadium?
No one knows the details of their lease; however lots is known about the lease the BC Lions had with PAVCO before renovations. It appears that they paid a percent of ticket sale that was roughly $60k a game or $2 per person. The Lions are also paying "$200,000 less this year to play in Empire Fields than it did to play in (the pre renovated)BC Place." Since the Lions prices haven't increased that much I would guess the their lease post renovations aren't substantially higher than what they were before.
Probably. I'm guess they want to see how it goes for a few years before completely giving up on the Waterfront stadium. Yes, from what I recall reading, it was a pretty good deal. The only downside is that they don't control the venue year round, so they wont make any money off concerts or other events held there the way some other teams with an SSS do. On an unrelated note, I see you've managed to turn yourself into a soccer player:
Right now WFC have a lease with BC Place for up to 5 years. They have said repeatedly that their intention is to build their own stadium in the future. Hopefully that will come sooner than later. Hypothetically, it's conceivable they could start building a new stadium in a couple years for operation before 2016 if they wanted out of their current plans with BC Place. Only they know. The City isn't the one that's a stumbling block, they've actually supported the stadium initiative or for it to be part of future plans. The land issue is with federal gov't=Port, they own the particular area the stadium would go. In fairness, the Port's sole responsibility and interest is for managing the movement of goods which make the port the fourth largest in North America and largest on the NA West Coast. It is the major industry that makes Vancouver what it is, so the stadium issue probably isn't too much of a priority for them or anyone else right now.
Fact check time. Both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have more traffic than Vancouver. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world's_busiest_container_ports
the waterfront stadium is a DEAD issue-- plainly put-- IT WONT HAPPEN! i have given my reasons before, even before the BC Government came up with the reno plans for BC Place Stadium in 2008-- the government officials who made this decision were completely right-- the land is better suited for other purposes such as public waterfront access/park and multi types of housing i took a lot of heat from those who supported the waterfront stadium, especially some of the southsiders supporters group, but time has proven me right (its nice to be right sometimes ) i remember that in 2010, the caps FO, i believe it was Lenarduzzi, saying they are looking at extending the lease at BC Place until 2021-- makes perfect sense to me for a variety of reasons- the area will be the 'hot economic place' to be for many years to come and the Caps will be a part of it