Today's Province reports the temporary stadium at Empire will cost $10 million to build. Still can't believe PavCo has agreed to pick-up the entire cost unless the Lions have it somewhere in their lease they must be provided an alternate venue.
Right now leaning on putting my season tickets in hiatus for the Empire option but will attend a few games.
Lions like move to old Empire site; BC Place renovations force switch in 2010
Vancouver Sun
Gary Kingston
Moving to a temporary 30,000-seat facility on the old Empire Stadium site for the 2010 CFL season will be a great opportunity for the B.C. Lions to celebrate the club's heritage and tradition, says vice-president/business George Chayka.
The Lions, who played at Empire from their inception in 1954 until 1982, will have to vacate BC Place Stadium in 2010 to allow for construction of a retractable roof.
The 32,375-seat Empire Stadium was demolished in the early 1990s and served as a parking lot for the Pacific National Exhibition for several years before the property was converted to soccer and ball fields.
"There's a ton of opportunities," Chayka said of tying promotions and game-day activities to the Lions' early years outdoors in the By Bailey-Willie Fleming-Joe Kapp era. "It really is a chance to create a celebration of the past, present and future."
The B.C. Pavilion Corp., which operates BC Place, has included the costs of a temporary stadium in the $458-million retractable roof project that was confirmed on Friday.
Long-time Lions' season ticket holder Doug Kingston of Aldergrove said he likes the idea of watching games outdoors next season. "It would be great. It would be like a mini-[Seattle] Seahawks stadium. But I wonder what it will be like going back in the dome [in 2011]. They run the risk everybody will like it so much that they'll complain about going back."
Chayka said he didn't think that would be an issue.
"With the retractable roof, we're going to have the best of both worlds in an updated and fresh BC Place Stadium. It will be an exciting move and an exciting transition."
A formal announcement on the particulars of the temporary stadium is still a few weeks away, but Chayka said he hopes capacity will be close to the club's current average attendance of just under 30,000. He suggested the majority, if not all, of the grandstanding could be covered and current season-ticket holders should be relocated as close as possible to the yard line on which they're currently seated.
Temporary washrooms and concessions would also be installed on the site, which sits in the shadow of the PNE Playland's classic wooden roller coaster.
"The type of stadiums that can be constructed on a portable basis are quite impressive," said Chayka. "[PavCo] are in discussion with companies that are very familiar with that kind of work."
He said no final decision has been made on whether the field will be natural grass or turf, although the latter "is the more durable surface."
