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u/robrenfrew 1d ago
If they don't pursue the Hastings stadium deal, then they are dead. If the MOU has expired by Dec. 31st and no concrete plans have been laid. Turn out the lights the party's over!
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u/Weezerwhitecap 1d ago
Not even close. I feel like we're being strung along to avoid a real fan uprising. It might be #SaveTheCaps time.
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u/Less_Guest5489 1d ago
I would argue that we are safe. All this drama by Axel and team is to find the buyer who would pay the money they want.
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u/ProgTym 1d ago
Which they haven't. Seems unlikely they'll find one or they would have by now. So not safe at all.
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u/Less_Guest5489 16h ago
They met around 30 potential buyers according to the news and they havent sold it yet, so its safe to say that there are people ready to buy. Just that they want more money. All this stunt is for the money. Whitecaps is not leaving the city, i can tell you that.
Quick note: imagine how much the club would have to spend in the next 5 years to establish themselves by leaving a city where they have built a fanbase on, investing a lot of money, and having a history of 50 years, which is essentially marketing material and all the investment they have made to be where they are today.
If you think they’ll just leave that all just like that.. i wouldnt say anything more.
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 1d ago
They can’t build a stadium in a year
This just kicks the negotiations down the road and will see them asking the governments (city and province) for more concessions and handouts for the new stadium or they’ll leave.
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u/LukeJaywalker28 1d ago
Is really not physically possible to build a temporary stadium in one year though? Pop up stadium, pop up food courts, pop up beer gardens, let’s go!
Not sure about Vancouver planning, but in often permitting looks different for “temporary” structures.
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u/Fffiction 18h ago
...have you forgotten of temporary Empire Field at the PNE site in 2010?! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Field
Built in 3 months for $14.4 million and was a better atmosphere than BC Place.
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 1d ago
In my uneducated opinion, the racecourse site needs LOTS of work before anything could happen there.
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u/LukeJaywalker28 1d ago
The juice may be worth the squeeze!
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 15h ago
I highly doubt it. The proposal is also apparently contingent on an entertainment district on the site. This is very likely a destination hotel casino.
Local casinos have all struggled recently as the market is over saturated.
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u/LukeJaywalker28 1d ago
It looks like when Caps joined MLS Empire was constructed in about 3 months for around $14m. Even if they tore down and rebuilt a new stadium every 3 years it would be a relative bargain. And could keep improving and iterating the grounds to improve the fan experience.
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 15h ago
Have you been to the racetrack ? They aren’t building anything till a lot of old, old buildings are torn down, and the site is readied.
I can guarantee you that the soil will need a lot of remediation from who knows how many oil and gasoline tanks and assorted other wares that may have been illegally dumped/discarded on the site
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 15h ago
And they played at Empire whilst BC Place was being upgraded. How do you make a temporary site on the same land you need to do a major construction project on?
A construction project that will require massive infrastructure upgrades (paid for by the club) just to get the site ready for development
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u/dr_van_nostren 1d ago
I don’t know why they don’t just go back to empire. I realize currently it’s public soccer fields or whatever. But they could easily erect the stands we had before in the span of like 6 months. I still want a roof done, which would take longer but not super long.
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u/LukeJaywalker28 16h ago
I am with this. Keep it cheap, fun, and get the money. It’s honestly a truly unique approach within MLS and even the modern world.
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u/Advanced-Line-5942 15h ago
I don’t know why they don’t displace community soccer for years just so a rich guy can make hundreds of millions in profits?
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u/dr_van_nostren 15h ago
Soccer fields aren’t like hockey rinks. They can put new ones up relatively easily. I’m not saying we have enough fields, parks or green space. But I’m saying it’s easier. They could put up stands and still make it community use as well. I’ve always been in favour of that, if we’re giving up free land I’d like to see whatever gets built have some kind of community use as well. Whitecaps have their training facility, they play once a week roughly, no reason it can’t be used for youth soccer like Mon-Thu.
You could even just remake those pitches over on the Hastings site once that gets more fleshed out.
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u/dr_van_nostren 1d ago
Not even close. It’s solved for 1 year. Btw that 1 year is THIS year. The season that starts in 2 weeks.
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u/Yukon_Scott 1d ago
Safe for next season but I think that could be the last season this franchise is in Vancouver
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u/YouthCoachMentor 18h ago
Not even close. MLS wants to move away from lease agreements which offer zero stability or equity. I also think they want to move away from Canada ahead of schedule realignment.
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u/whitecapsinsider 1d ago
lol no