RoyalDude wrote:BC Place built in 1983 I believe for 126 million bones. The renovation for the new roof cost $563 million. The renovation budget was set for $365 million by the BC government. End result, $200 million over budget for a building to house the BC Lions. Greg Kerfoot owner of the Whitecaps wants to build his own soccer only stadium, trust me, he still does. What is so funny about Kerfoots situation is that he was literally on his hands and knees begging to build one on the waterfront with ALL HIS PRIVATE MONEY AND NO HELP FROM THE TAXPAYERS, but unfortunately some Federal Government funded Railroad company won't make a land swap deal with him, or should I say, sell the space above the tracks to add to the land that he owns on the waterfront, and so because of that he is TEMPORARILY playing his soccer team at BC Place. Kerfoot was even willing to build that waterfront stadium (keep in mind, WITH HIS OWN MONEY) to house both the Caps and the Lions at one point. This AMAZING new convention centre built on the waterfront, funded by taxpayers, is supposed to handle all the new big conventions, so it couldn't be the conventions that justified the $200 million over budget reno that cost $563 million to build is it???? So at the end of the day, this fucking $563 million renovation for a new roof to BC Place, is really for the BC Lions only, what 8 home games a year, and maybe a couple conventions??? Wow, money well spent. But hey, Mëds is cool with that, Just not what is going on with the Oilers, damn the Katz group to hell if they want help from taxpayers to build a new stadium.
I'm thinking that one could write a book about all of the problems, issues, and concerns with the water front stadium that never got built V rebuilding/ refurbishing BC place, and probably will get written one day
but....
1. Mess with Federal railway infrastructure and right of way? The lifeblood of Vancouver and the Nation? no thanky, no touchy, no way.
2. DERA and the social problems that would be acerbated by having the middle class rub noses with the poor and down trodden? where will they go if they are forced out of the east side? They wont be welcome out in the burbs
3. BC Place exists and will deteriorate with like empire did when obsolete leaving a gaping hole that more leaky condos is not going to fill.
4. The result is a world class capital asset that still belongs to the city, produce revenue from concerts and tractor pulls etc, houses the two sports franchises and gives them the ability to compete and continue into the foreseeable future all while providing jobs and income over time that will eventually pay for itsself (theoretically at least) without handing anything to private interests for free...
As for the Katz deal Mëds is right, its a bad deal for Edmonton that would be ripping off the taxpayer. The City foots half the building costs, covers the development costs including road way approaches and the like, and pays Katz for the upkeep and maintenance that Katxz will make profit from, and he gets all of the revenue from the other uses of the building for most of the year?
If Edmonton gives him that they are fools. Give him the same breaks that Griffiths got here and thats it...If he aint got the money he's a piker anyway...