Halifax Stadium Discussion

[HighVoltageRock]

I have been following the debate for some time and have been debating on whether or not to get involved in discussions or not as I am not a "Haligonian", (but still Nova Scotian)... I will state that most of what I post will just be my opinions...If I have facts I will post them, but its just going to be my opinion for the most part more likely than not. But I don't have any intentions of attacking anyone-I agree with most people in this thread anyway. It's encouraging to see some positive discussion from someone...its just too bad the more formal discussions aren't a bit more like this! It's been a bit frustrating watching the whole thing from afar...hopefully next month will bring the news we all long for!

I hope you all don't mind a valley girl putting in her two cents on occasion...

Originally Posted by Empire

In would appear that we need an event like FIFA to add any ligitimacy to a short term business case. Potentially, there are funds available from the Feds and FIFA for the world cup. Seems to me that a 15,000 permanent seat stadium with a roof, media centre and folding seats would work for now. The CFL will come once we get out of the gate.

I agree.

Originally Posted by q12

2010 population estimates:
Halifax 403,000
Regina 215,000

just curious, but do you have a link for these estimates? I am working on trying to encourage a band come play in Halifax, and I want to make sure the numbers I got from Wikipedia are acurate...


My ultimate dream, in a perfect world would be a stadium something along the lines of the Roman Colosseum,, only altered to be better sightlines for football/soccer/concerts... In this kind of scenario, I really like this one place AC DC played in Europe somewhere (cant remember the name)...I have no idea what that one cost, or if Halifax could have a somewhat-historical-type stadium design for a good price (maybe something like victorian style would be more appropriate)...

In the real-world we live in, my dream is a 20,000 seat stadium MINIMUM. But I would prefer 25,000 permanent...and a potential of 70,000 for huge concerts like AC DC...(but 70,000 may be a pipe-dream, depending on how big its built in the first place and how many can fit on the fields-after the stage is in place)... I don't see 10,000 seats being anything better than what we have now. 15,000 permanent is atleast big enough that its better than what we have now...

I really love the idea of Shannon Park as you guys describe it, but I do worry about the 33MIL price tage mentioned for cleaning the place up. DC seems fantastic, as I have been there before and loved the place...of anywhere in the city that I am most familiar with, it has fantastic potential for even further expansion than is already there...its like a model car or something where all the pieces are there, you just have to put it all together... I *really* hate the idea of using SMU area-coming from a more music-oriented place, because I can't see the concerts I dream of going over well in that particular area... There are problems from what I understand, of people complaining about noise with Goorsebrook and the Commons sites (which is one of the things I hope a stadium will fix)...So SMU I would think would be 1,000x worse...but thats JMO...I lived around the area for awhile, and I liked it in general, but not as a site for a stadium...

It would need to be equally functionable, IMO, for concerts and sporting events... I would primarily be there for concerts, but might buy tickets for my brothers to goto football or soccer games... It would need to have good sound/PA systems...ability for huge trucks with gear for concerts to get in and out...

anyway, I've been thinking about this whole thing alot, and those are some of my thought on things...


oh, one more thing...in reguards to naming... Can't/arent different parts named different things? Like the field could be Bell Aliant field, while the stadium itself is called "Stanfield stadium" or "Joseph Howe stadium or whatever... And couldnt selling the naming rights to each part collect more of the needed funds?

[Jstaleness]

Welcome to the forum. Your opinions are as welcomed as everyone else's. There are quite a few people that post here that aren't from Halifax. Support for this thing is growing.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by HighVoltageRock

just curious, but do you have a link for these estimates? I am working on trying to encourage a band come play in Halifax, and I want to make sure the numbers I got from Wikipedia are acurate...

Here are the Statistics Canada estimates for July 1 2010 - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-214-...0/t013-eng.htm . The data indicates that the Halifax Regional Municipality had 403,188 people on July 1 2010. Since it is growing at about 1.5% per year, it is probably up to about 411,000 by now.

The census numbers are always lower than the estimates since the post-census estimates include factors to account for people who are missed in the census counts. So the post-census estimates are considered to be closer to the real population. Also, during the university year, the metro population could be as much as 10,000 more than the population estimates because of all the out of town students (but this is just my guesstimate)

[HighVoltageRock]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Welcome to the forum. Your opinions are as welcomed as everyone else's. There are quite a few people that post here that aren't from Halifax. Support for this thing is growing.

thanks! I can't wait til we get one... Its been too long... we just need the naysayers out of the way for long enough...

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Here are the Statistics Canada estimates for July 1 2010 - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-214-...0/t013-eng.htm . The data indicates that the Halifax Regional Municipality had 403,188 people on July 1 2010. Since it is growing at about 1.5% per year, it is probably up to about 411,000 by now.

The census numbers are always lower than the estimates since the post-census estimates include factors to account for people who are missed in the census counts. So the post-census estimates are considered to be closer to the real population. Also, during the university year, the metro population could be as much as 10,000 more than the population estimates because of all the out of town students (but this is just my guesstimate)

thanks! My numbers were way off then...

[wackypacky]

Originally Posted by HighVoltageRock

I have been following the debate for some time and have been debating on whether or not to get involved in discussions or not as I am not a "Haligonian", (but still Nova Scotian)... I will state that most of what I post will just be my opinions...If I have facts I will post them, but its just going to be my opinion for the most part more likely than not. But I don't have any intentions of attacking anyone-I agree with most people in this thread anyway. It's encouraging to see some positive discussion from someone...its just too bad the more formal discussions aren't a bit more like this! It's been a bit frustrating watching the whole thing from afar...hopefully next month will bring the news we all long for!

I hope you all don't mind a valley girl putting in her two cents on occasion...



I agree.




just curious, but do you have a link for these estimates? I am working on trying to encourage a band come play in Halifax, and I want to make sure the numbers I got from Wikipedia are acurate...


My ultimate dream, in a perfect world would be a stadium something along the lines of the Roman Colosseum,, only altered to be better sightlines for football/soccer/concerts... In this kind of scenario, I really like this one place AC DC played in Europe somewhere (cant remember the name)...I have no idea what that one cost, or if Halifax could have a somewhat-historical-type stadium design for a good price (maybe something like victorian style would be more appropriate)...

In the real-world we live in, my dream is a 20,000 seat stadium MINIMUM. But I would prefer 25,000 permanent...and a potential of 70,000 for huge concerts like AC DC...(but 70,000 may be a pipe-dream, depending on how big its built in the first place and how many can fit on the fields-after the stage is in place)... I don't see 10,000 seats being anything better than what we have now. 15,000 permanent is atleast big enough that its better than what we have now...

I really love the idea of Shannon Park as you guys describe it, but I do worry about the 33MIL price tage mentioned for cleaning the place up. DC seems fantastic, as I have been there before and loved the place...of anywhere in the city that I am most familiar with, it has fantastic potential for even further expansion than is already there...its like a model car or something where all the pieces are there, you just have to put it all together... I *really* hate the idea of using SMU area-coming from a more music-oriented place, because I can't see the concerts I dream of going over well in that particular area... There are problems from what I understand, of people complaining about noise with Goorsebrook and the Commons sites (which is one of the things I hope a stadium will fix)...So SMU I would think would be 1,000x worse...but thats JMO...I lived around the area for awhile, and I liked it in general, but not as a site for a stadium...

It would need to be equally functionable, IMO, for concerts and sporting events... I would primarily be there for concerts, but might buy tickets for my brothers to goto football or soccer games... It would need to have good sound/PA systems...ability for huge trucks with gear for concerts to get in and out...

anyway, I've been thinking about this whole thing alot, and those are some of my thought on things...


oh, one more thing...in reguards to naming... Can't/arent different parts named different things? Like the field could be Bell Aliant field, while the stadium itself is called "Stanfield stadium" or "Joseph Howe stadium or whatever... And couldnt selling the naming rights to each part collect more of the needed funds?

Shannon Park really needs to be cleaned up whether a stadium is built there or not, so the cleanup cost shouldn't be considered actual stadium cost.

[Jstaleness]

Some clean up has started I believe. I think DND removed at least 7 buildings in the summer and early fall months. I wish it could all come down. Those old apartments would have to be rotten by now.

[David1gray]

from twitter:

RT @briancbc: Halifax stadium committee recommends 14,000 seat facility, expandable to 20K for FIFA, site -Dartmouth Crossing....

[Jstaleness]

I hope not

[cormiermax]

Idiots...

[W.Sobchak]

how lackluster

[Wishblade]

Well, atleast its not the 10,000 seat option I guess. And though we'll get a smaller stadium than we want, lets just hope they make it easy to expand for permanent seats when the time comes. And atleast we'd get the FIFA event too.

Also, it took me almost 6 years but I've finally reached 1000 posts

[someone123]

An expandable 14,000 seat stadium could be okay but I think DC will turn out to be a mistake over the long term. It is the quick, easy solution today but it's much less convenient for the universities, for anybody on the peninsula with no car, isn't really located near hotels or anything interesting...

Unsurprising though. The main facility for the Canada Winter Games was in Clayton Park. Maybe the next event will go to Sackville.

[cormiermax]

I just don't understand why they didn't go with the larger option which everyone said they wanted at the meetings. It's as if they made there minds up before hand. And DC... can anyone say SPRAWL!

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

I just don't understand why they didn't go with the larger option which everyone said they wanted at the meetings. It's as if they made there minds up before hand. And DC... can anyone say SPRAWL!

Fenwick pointed out last month that he thought decisions had already been made and the meetings were just to say we had them. It looks as though it may be a possibility.

They better have some damn fine transit improvements ready if this thing is built in the crossing. This stadium could end up being more accessible to those in Elmsdale and Truro rather than the folks and students on the peninsula.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Fenwick pointed out last month that he thought decisions had already been made and the meetings were just to say we had them. It looks as though it may be a possibility.

They better have some damn fine transit improvements ready if this thing is built in the crossing. This stadium could end up being more accessible to those in Elmsdale and Truro rather than the folks and students on the peninsula.

Sure does look that way...

They better have plans for rail transit or something if there putting it in DC, there's no freaking way people without a car living on the peninsula will take a bus too get there, and I'm sure traffic and parking will be hell.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

They better have some damn fine transit improvements ready if this thing is built in the crossing. This stadium could end up being more accessible to those in Elmsdale and Truro rather than the folks and students on the peninsula.

If a stadium is built in DC good transit service is simply not going to happen.

They can say they'll have shuttles but where will the shuttles go? All over the municipality? More likely it will be the usual 90+ minute transit slog or the bus service simply will not be provided.

The universities probably won't even use a Dartmouth Crossing for smaller events, and this is supposed to be a "community stadium".

As cormiermax says I also expect that parking and traffic will be bad in Dartmouth Crossing because most people will drive. I do not accept the vague supposition that traffic problems don't exist if there's a highway next door (and that building in the city = less parking and more traffic jams). Have they produced a detailed plan for how the parking, traffic, and transit for 14,000 people will be handled?

[Welkin]

I think DC is an excellent choice. I really thought we were going to get stuck with a dinky at SMU. It is not perfect for everyone involved, but it is an excellent choice. It will give them the room that they will need to fully operate the new stadium. The size is on the low end but maybe that will change after FIFA. Let's face it, downtown was going to be too costly and cause way to many problems. Shannon was not an easy fit either. DC fits their low cost budget and will be the easiest to get built or expand in the future. The city was not going to war to get this thing built and there are far less NIMBY's out in DC. Regardless, after never having a stadium in the past, I'll take any stadium they build because it is a step in the right direction. Maybe we will finally have the CFL by 2016.

[Jstaleness]

Say this was built tomorrow. Right now all that could be done is running LINK buses from each terminal. People would still have to take other routes to get to the terminals. They could also use the park and ride system which is currently free at most terminals. What sort of incentives could be offered to encourage people to use public transit?

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by Welkin

Regardless, after never having a stadium in the past, I'll take any stadium they build because it is a step in the right direction. Maybe we will finally have the CFL by 2016.

Not if the stadium isn't expandable beyond the 20,000 mark. Is 25,000 still the minimum for CFL?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Say this was built tomorrow. Right now all that could be done is running LINK buses from each terminal. People would still have to take other routes to get to the terminals. They could also use the park and ride system which is currently free at most terminals. What sort of incentives could be offered to encourage people to use public transit?

Yep. Nobody lives near the DC location. If it were on the peninsula many people could walk or bike and many more people could get there on a single bus. Visitors could stay in nearby hotels close to many attractions. In Dartmouth crossing nobody would be able to walk and most people would be looking at a bus connection. Visitors would not have good local entertainment options.

Another problem with the attitude of developing only on "easy" sites is that the city ends up with tons of underused brownfield. These are both unsightly and reduce density, making it harder to get around and driving apart neighbourhoods. Halifax basically gets hit twice by sprawl when the decision is made to build on the fringe instead of on an urban site.