BC Place: Stadium Refurbishment | Completed

[towerguy3]

Yes it was a controlled deflation. What did you expect them to do, leave the roof up indefinitely with air blasting out the hole and the roof bopping up and down with speakers and lights swaying back and forth and falling down??!

With 60,000 people inside, I'm sure the plan is to turn all 16 fans on full blast to blow the roof completely off the building.

Better that than the roof falling down onto people, right? Yes, that is indeed the plan.

The roof was coming down anyways as the air was rushing out of the hole, so in order to slow the drop of the roof, they turned on more fans to control the rate of drop.

Only when the roof was fully down did they turn OFF the fans.

And how do you expect them to so finely control the ventilation during Flame time when just two days before the Premier made his announcement the alarm bells went off in the control room simply due to the effect of a door being left open?

If the roof is that sensitive to pressure variations that a simple door being left open would get alarm bells ringing in the control room, I sure would like to know how you figure sucking air from the cauldron is somehow going to keep the roof from sagging.

[towerguy3]

Jlousa I'm going to buy you a steak. I'm not really acknowledging I lost the bet but I'll buy you one, just not too big please. You can buy me a 7 up.

Can we all meet on the 19th? How many are you are in?

I need someone's help in organizing this please.

[jlousa]

Didn't Mike K talk about a meet coming up soon?
We should just do it then.

[towerguy3]

okay, you let me know...

[jlousa]

Not much new, but worth the read.

May 28, 2008
BC Place owners plan retractable roof for stadium
RICHARD GILBERT
staff writer

The owners of BC Place stadium are planning major upgrades, which include a new retractable roof.
However, the new roof won’t be built in time for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The City of Vancouver and the Crown corporation that manages BC Place stadium, BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), are working on a plan to allow development on the property around B.C. Place. The main objective of this joint initiative is to finance basic repairs and maintenance on the building, as well as major upgrades.
Premier Campbell recently announced that the air-supported Teflon dome roof at BC Place stadium will be replaced with a retractable roof. The upgrades to the stadium will occur in two phases
“As much of the preparatory work on the roof as possible will be done prior to the 2010 games. The remaining work to install the new roof will be completed over an estimated eight months after the games are over. This is exactly how BC Place was planned and built more than 25 years ago,” said PavCo chairman David Podmore.
“By waiting until after 2010 to complete the retractable roof, we’ll get better competitive pricing.”
Renovations to suites, seating, washrooms and concession stands, and enhancement of the existing roof liner are being undertaken, so that the stadium can host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games.
According to Podmore, the refurbishments will cost about $ 4 million, with a large part of this money being used to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
The familiar white Teflon air-supported roof of BC Place will be replaced by a retractable roof after the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
After the 2010 Olympic Games, the rehabilitation work will include replacing the air-supported Teflon dome roof with a retractable roof.
Both phases are expected to go out to tender within five months, subject to design, completion of a business case and cost-benefit analysis, and government approval.
“Once we’ve completed our design and planning, we’ll finalize the budget and, subject to provincial government approval, get a fixed price contract with a guaranteed timeline, explained Podmore.”
PavCo asked for tenders for replacing the current roof from the three companies in the world that build air-supported structures – Bird Air, Fabri-tec and Hi-Tec.
It also decided to look at whether a more modern form of roof could be built.
A retractable roof by itself will cut energy costs for BC Place by one-third, which is about $535,000 annually.
An additional $100,000 annually will be realized through operational savings.
For example, the stadium will no longer need air-lock doors to support the roof.
“We support the decision to complete the new roof after the games and are very familiar with the savings that can be found when construction is undertaken under the right timing.” said John Furlong, Vancouver Olympic Committee CEO.
Podmore also plans to replace all the seats and the main floor slab, which has been damaged over the years and doesn’t have up to date electrical plugs and wiring.
Green sustainable features will also be included.
Generating electricity with photovoltaic cells and using geothermal heating and cooling will further increase the energy efficiency of the building.
The 2010 Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony will take place in the 60,000-seat BC Place Stadium on February 12, 2010, with the closing ceremony to follow about two weeks later.
During the games, nightly victory ceremonies will also be held at the stadium.
The Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony will be held at BC Place Stadium on March 12, 2010.
Development of commercial and residential property on the lands around BC Place are expected to generate more than $100 million towards the cost of the new roof and upgrades.
Additional revenue will come from new sponsorships and expanded business opportunities.

[mr.x]

According to Podmore, the refurbishments will cost about $ 4 million, with a large part of this money being used to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

In that case, this is nothing new. The $4-million is what VANOC had budgeted on comsetic and accessibility renovations for BC Place since 2003.

[miniaturesnickers]

^^^

I think that that's just someone getting their numbers crossed.

I don't believe the renos have been put to tender yet, and if it has, it certainly hasn't been for very long. That and Podmore has refused to talk about numbers thus far.

I wouldn't be surprised if the seating replacement alone cost more than $4 million.

I believe VANOC's still throwing in $4 million for accesibility improvements, as per their news release.

[mr.x]

^ hopefully you're right.

I'm quite sure the seating replacement will cost much more than $4-million. For comparison's sake, it cost $3-million to replace the Pacific Coliseum's 15,000 seats in time for the 2006 World Juniors. I'd peg the BC Place seat replacement cost at between $9-12 million.


To think that the people in charge thought they could actually get away with $4-million in "cosmetic and accessibility renovations" for BC Place.....it's amazing that these incompetent individuals have been thinking this was possible for 5 years. It's almost like they forgot how important the Olympic Stadium was.

[deasine]

well from day 1, they weren't really worried about this stadium at all. If they did, we would've had a new roof under construction right now. sigh =(

[LeftCoaster]

From the previous plans I had seen (preliminary) they were just discussing removing the worst seats, and not an entire seat replacement... hence the 4 million dollar figure. I would be quite surprised if they redid every single seat... then again I was quite surprised about the retractrable roof so maybe this one will be another pleasant one too.

[miniaturesnickers]

That doesn't account for the suite upgrades, new concessions, etc that have all been promised. That and the "enhancements to the current roof liner."

If one takes each part of the renovation on its own, it probably doesn't look like too much, but when all put together, you'll no doubt end up with a much larger figure than $4 million. I suspect that the $50 million figure that's been tossed around a few times is likely closer to the actual number. That said, even if Podmore is saying $4 million for the renos, which again I highly doubt, VANOC is still contributing its $4 million to accessibility improvements... so at the very least, if this obvious misquote is fact, we're getting an $8 million improvement.

I think however that VANOC was fairly confident that the renos would happen, and perhaps even pressuring the Gov't behind closed doors, though that's just an assumption PavCo in each year of their business plan going back a few years has made reference to evaluating what upgrades were needed as part of the Games.

[towerguy3]

Does the roof even need an inner lining attached?

Cause the 4 triangular panels around the rim including the panel that was replaced do not have an inner lining attached.

[officedweller]

The inner lining forms the bottom of the "duct" used to channel the warm air to melt snow on the roof - but may be removed for "looks".

[johnjimbc]

that at this late stage of the game, and even with a huge "announcement" a couple of weeks back, that no one can quite piece together an actual LIST of improvements that will be completed and the timetable for them (pre and post Olympics).

It just seems bizarre to me. I still don't have a clear image of how extensive . . . or how minor . . . the "improvements" will be for the Olympic timeframe.

I appreciate everything that folks have said here and for the many articles on the subject, but the caveats - or complete disparities - in the described improvements are a bit disconcerting.

I am sure there must be - or at least hope there is - someone in the know with a comprehensive list of must-have improvements (and like-to-have improvements if possible) for the opening ceremonies.

And I hope at some point some one actually sees fit to publish that list for the public.

[bils]

that's prolly cuz they don't want to promise anything before the olympics. they'll just work as fast as they can, and whatever gets done will be done, and whatever is leftover will be done after.

[johnjimbc]

I think you're probably correct, and that is actually what concerns me. At some point they had better have a list and a project plan. It's not like me spot cleaning my home on a Saturday afternoon . . . there has to be a pretty detailed plan.

Imagine hosting a big dinner for a couple dozen people and saying, "We'll just start cooking in the morning and see what we have done by the time people show up."

Sounds like a recipe for embarrassment to me.

I am hoping it is more like them having lists and plans that are in work (we are less than 2 years away now), but they just don't want to over-promise so they just are holding back on the details.

That is my hope, anyway.

[WarrenC12]

I think you guys are getting pretty worked up about nothing.

Lets be honest, they could hold the ceremony in there tomorrow and it wouldn't be a disaster or embarrassment as a building. I'd be more concerned about the product that will be on the ice (I'm sure they will put a temporary rink in there) for the ceremony itself than the building it will be held in.

[towerguy3]

The Whitecaps signed a Letter of Intent with Pavco to play in BC Place, not a 5 year Lease yet.

How much weight does a Letter of Intent have legally? Is it binding on both Pavco and the Whitecaps to close a deal?

[jlousa]

A letter of intent has the same legal bearing as an engagement ring. Should mean something, but doesn't guarntee anything, but it looks pretty.

[miniaturesnickers]

Both the VANOC and Government press releases contain a list of improvements we can expect pre-2010. I'd say that's probably the bare minimum anyway.

The interior renovations and the roof I believe have yet to be put out to tender, and likely will be soon. We'll no doubt see a list then, as they need to know what to ask for.

If it gets to be this time in 2009 and nothing's been done, I think THEN we can panic. For now let's just enjoy the sun.