David A said:
I am skeptical the UCP will show Edmonton the money so I eagerly wait for this. Covering demolition cost of the old coliseum would be great and its not that expensive, so that should be an easy one.

There has been talk over the years about adding a roof to Commonwealth and it would be great if that were to happen. It is still one of the largest facilities in Canada and allowing it to be used throughout more of the year makes sense. It is well located on a major LRT line, not far from downtown and the area near it is being developed. Winnipeg and Regina are much smaller cities and were replacing older, smaller stadiums, so their situation something different.

IMO it would be best if ICE District stuck to its original plan and the area north of it was developed as residential. I understand there are costs for infrastructure related to that which need to be covered, so if the province could help with that, that would be great too.
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The cost of building a foot over Commonwealth would be horrendous considering the with the width with most of the seats on the the sidelines and the running track. Probably cheaper to build a brand new 40,000 seat stadium with a roof factored into the design.
 
I would love a 30K seat stadium (room to add 5-10k spectators) with a translucent roof to accommodate events all year round. That size also lines up much better with the realities of CFL and although still big would work well for a soccer franchise returning to Edmonton in the CPL.

To get what we need out of a full blown reno to commonwealth (fans closer to field of play, more intimate atmosphere, partial cover, fan areas, concourse improvements, etc... I think would end up being pretty close to a new building.

I agree the city is in no position to go it alone but you strike when the opportunity presents and if the stars align with the province adding say $200mil and you get a new excited team owner willing to pony up then might be a long time before you see that kind of opportunity again.
 
BASE said:
I would love a 30K seat stadium (room to add 5-10k spectators) with a translucent roof to accommodate events all year round. That size also lines up much better with the realities of CFL and although still big would work well for a soccer franchise returning to Edmonton in the CPL.

To get what we need out of a full blown reno to commonwealth (fans closer to field of play, more intimate atmosphere, partial cover, fan areas, concourse improvements, etc... I think would end up being pretty close to a new building.

I agree the city is in no position to go it alone but you strike when the opportunity presents and if the stars align with the province adding say $200mil and you get a new excited team owner willing to pony up then might be a long time before you see that kind of opportunity again.
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A new stadium for what 8 home CFL games/year and a soccer franchise that comes and goes every other year?
 
MacLac said:
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Well you stand a better chance than me. I wouldn’t want to put money on it. Commonwealth is out dated and not fit for purpose as a football association or otherwise stadium. It tries to be all things to all people which never works well.
 
I still believe (as per previous posts) that a stadium fits neatly into the downtown City Land bounded by 105 Avenue and 106 Avenue (north/south) and 105 Street west to 108 street, so here are some considerations:
- the site is large enough to develop a 50,000-seat Stadium with three high-rises occupying corners, perhaps another major hotel, condos for sports aficionados, and rentals for others (not the least of which would be MacU students)
- MacU could benefit from the sports facilities (remember they already have home ice in the Arena)
- would it surprise anyone if the land was either owned or optioned by a major downtown developer?
- there is also a major component of the land owned by the Provs that could work a deal with said developer
- the zoning could be upgraded to allow for high-rise development
- it would have contiguous neighborliness with Rogers
- it would impel development of ICE Phase 2 where a large underground parking structure could serve the whole area, ICE 1 and 2 and the new Stadium
- it would be a HUGE impetus to downtown business and social livelihood
- it would be a first step in attracting Major League Soccer which would be a more dominant force than the CFL but that Franchise would also benefit
- it could have a moveable roof that allows for outdoor events as well as indoor shows
- it is conveniently situated to LRT (a direct public connection could be made to the MacEwan Station) more easily serving the entire LRT ridership)
- it would help promote greater use of the LRT network
- it would attract sports related businesses to the downtown core
- it would allow the Commonwealth Stadium freed up to be altered in a more permanent way to capture a permanent Canadian home for the X-games with both winter and summer games (https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0202/042.html?sh=4eed53246112) -- Commonwealth Stadium could be ceded to said developer to allow them to "do their thing", making the venue far more exciting and multifunctional.
- it would provide a huge boost to Edmonton's Cachet and in particular downtown.

Lastly I leave you with this -- it is really worth watching...
 
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First off, I hope that this rumour is true (it certainly appears to be legit) and while most will say or agree this money should be thrown at some more important issues, I certainly won't complain if it means letting the city off the hook for demolition costs - that would be a nice relief for city coffers - and potentially getting some badly need upgrades to Commonwealth and accelerating Ice District 2.0.

I'm torn about Commonwealth. On one hand, the costs to upgrade are probably higher then any of us are anticipating and there are valid arguments that the stadium is simply too large and no longer practical in this day and age, especially given that Elks games are few and far between and the likelihood of us getting an MLS franchise anytime in the next 2 decades are extremely slim. Plus, the idea of a downtown stadium taking up a huge chunk of lots would be amazing. BUT, it's a unique and historical stadium that has been an integral part of our cities history and it deserves some love. Especially given the area is finally seeing some construction and momentum, I worry about the immediate and long-term impacts that could occur if Commonwealth ceases to exist. Not to mention, what would happen to Commonwealth if a new stadium were built? I truly don't think its practical building a new stadium and then being burdened with this.

As well, if the province were willing to pony up cash to infrastructure upgrades to help facilitate and save costs to OEG to get Ice District 2.0 going I would honestly be for it. This development needs to get going and I truly think the construction of an urban village will have transformational impacts to the surrounding area in ways we can't even truly imagine.

Just my two cents.
 
I'm not worried about Elks games. I'm more worried about the existence of big stadium concerts such as U2, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Metallica and Garth Brooks. If there was a roof over our stadium, I'm almost certain we can attract the likes of Taylor Swift to Edmonton.
 
A roof is a non-start for Commonwealth IMO. It was looked at multiple times over the years and was cost-prohibitive and honestly would take away from the beauty that is Commonwealth. Either invest in it and upgrade it without a roof or patch and work on a ~30-40k stadium as a replacement in the next 7-10 yrs.
 
IanO said:
A roof is a non-start for Commonwealth IMO. It was looked at multiple times over the years and was cost-prohibitive and honestly would take away from the beauty that is Commonwealth. Either invest in it and upgrade it without a roof or patch and work on a ~30-40k stadium as a replacement in the next 7-10 yrs.
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Given modern expectations and the cost of tickets for big stadium shows etc,

I feel replace is really the only real option.

Commonwealth, like the queen was, is a relic of the past. I believe it initially had bench seating, may be wrong on that one.

edit: went and did my research: Just the one end zone had bench seating equaling 2300 places.
 
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Regardless of the roof, what is an absolute hill-to-die-on must-have is natural grass instead of artificial turf. If you're wondering why there's no FIFA World Cup in Edmonton, there's your answer.
 
Gronk! said:
Regardless of the roof, what is an absolute hill-to-die-on must-have is natural grass instead of artificial turf. If you're wondering why there's no FIFA World Cup in Edmonton, there's your answer.
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Putting in real grass is an easy enough and relatively cheap fix and was a non factor in fifa overlooking Edmonton
 
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