POLL: Do you want an OUTDOOR stadium or happy with the dome?

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To Dome or not to Dome ...

Dome
76
73%
Outdoor
28
27%
 
Total votes: 104
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Sir Purrcival
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Location: Comox Valley

Won't disagree with you but if the dome goes down and Condo's go up, the restaurants will have a much greater pool of people to draw from at more regular times. Don't think, they will argue much. My assumption is that the land will be used for something else. Maybe it won't be but where $$$ are involved, the tendency is to try and get the biggest bang for the buck. When that happens, then the problem remains, where will the Lions play? I have my bias's about what would work but I know that there are lots of other alternatives.
Tell me how long must a fan be strong? Ans. Always.
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Leo_on_Rideau
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Location: Ottawa, ON

Sir Purrcival wrote:Uh, Scott Road is right on Skytrain Transit. It also opens up more opportunities for drivers in Langley, WhiteRock, Abbotsford, Aldergrove etc. Transit does not focus on the downtown as a hub, its focus is on routing people to Skytrain. Most bus routes head more or less to the closest Skytrain Station.
So let's say I'm coming from smack-dab in the middle of Vancouver. Something like Main and 33rd. I first have to take a bus downtown, then I have to transfer to the SkyTrain, and reverse-commute all the way to the end of the line, where I'm now stuck quite late if it's an evening game. (If it's no longer the end of the line, my apologies... I haven't really lived in the GVRD since 1996, with a blip in 2001-02). In addition to the lack of nightlife, it's now tougher to get home too.

Putting it downtown puts it more or less at the halfway point (not literally, but transfer-wise) for everyone. People on the SkyTrain route (which is only convenient for some of the suburbs) get downtown and back with relative ease. People with buses get downtown and back with relative ease. They don't then have to go somewhere else once they get there.

Think of it this way: if you were coming from Surrey, wouldn't it be annoying if you then had to transfer downtown and go all the way to Marpole or something?
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Sir Purrcival
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Halfway for whom? Where does the majority of the population live these days? Downtown is almost the most extreme end of the GVTA. It is nowhere close to being the middle. If you live in Maple Ridge, you can forget transit altogether, you are driving. Same with Langley, South Surrey, Abbottsford etc. No one who lives in those regions would accuse the downtown as being the middle. Burnaby is problably closest to all parts of the City with lots of transit, freeway access, from both the east and the north and a heck of a lot closer to where most people would be coming from. That can be a big consideration if you want to bring kids who are the ticket buyers of tomorrow. Consider also that while transit is important, a larger portion of those who attend games still drive, which means that easily getting to and from the game by car is important. Downtown does not make that an easier task. Traffic tends to be more congested downtown, parking more expensive and escape harder. So rather than argue the merits of downtown or not, lets assume for the moment that a new facility won't end up there because of the value of the land. Where would you put a facility and what factors would you consider in making that choice?
Tell me how long must a fan be strong? Ans. Always.
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agent2
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Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 1:25 pm
Location: Vancouver

Part of a vibrant community is having a downtown with a good mix of commercial and residential property. Vancouver is lauded worldwide by urban planners and architects for having just that. From a sheer economic perspective I can't see a stadium in the suburbs working as well as downtown or nearby. If you are building an outdoor facility that is used for sports only then perhaps the suburbs, but the downtown covered stadium is multi functional, for sports, trade shows, conventions, concerts etc. Downtown has a HUGE concentrated population with restaurants, hotels, shopping etc. For example, I can't see an event such as Grey Cup being as successful if it's held out in Surrey.
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Sir Purrcival
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Location: Comox Valley

I don't necessarily disagree with the cosmopolitan argument but the Grey Cup is but once every few years and if we are concerned about how well it might do in Surrey, then what does that say about Hamilton, Regina or any of the other smaller cities where that game is played. There might be something to the trade show argument as even with the Trade Centre expansion, Vancouver is woefully under resourced that way. However, I am not fixated on Surrey, I simply point out that it is one option. If the land is available, opinion here seems to be it should stay downtown. I can live with that. Keep in mind however, it isn't just me suggesting that it won't be that way.
Tell me how long must a fan be strong? Ans. Always.
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