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Commonwealth Stadium

What should be done with Commonwealth Stadium?

  • a) It should undergo a major refresh

    Votes: 16 53.3%

  • b) A new stadium should be built

    Votes: 7 23.3%

  • c) Upkeep and minor improvements are all that is needed

    Votes: 7 23.3%
  • Total voters
    30
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Hey look! Commonwealth - and for that fact YEG - is home to the Kentucky Wildcats! Who knew?!
 
56,000 people for the concert on the weekend. Apparently the record was 66,835 back for U2. With Explore Edmonton and others bringing large events to Commonwealth, it is time to put money into the stadium. Not only to better handle large events with such things as expanded concourses, washrooms, entrances and concessions, but also since it is getting close to 50 years old and is showing it's age. Sohi keeps bringing up how this is a priority for him but citizens also need to apply pressure on the provincial government. Of course, being awarded the Commonwealth Games would probably help the cause. Let's hope the Elks start winning and we can get some decent sized football crowds in the next couple of years.
 
Such a rock and a hard place though given how few and far between those are. Sure the huge capacity has its benefits for those kinds of shows, FIFA, Grey Cups etc., but 90% of the events there are lessened because of how far the seating is set back from the field.
 
Here is a video showing some of the proposed changes for Commonwealth back when they were pitching it for the World Cup. The upgrades I notice are a midfield tunnel, a video board on the south end and possibly updating the screen on the north side. It does not appear they dug down the field to bring the stands closer to the field. It would be interesting to see a video of the proposed changes to the concourse.
 
For improved spectator/game experience I have always thought the digging down the field to bring people closer to 99% of the events the facility hosts. If they were to have those closer stands be removable you could still leave open the possibility of the bigger area to accommodate a track if such a event ever required one again but I don't even see that as a necessity.
 
I am curious how digging down the field to bring spectators closer to the action would work. Assuming that the stands would be brought 10 meters (approximate width of a running track, might be too much) closer to the field and that the slope of the stands is a 1 meter rise to every 2.5 meters horizontal, that would mean digging down the field 4 meters. Movable stands could then be installed so that track and field could still be hosted. Would spectators still have proper sight lines for a track and field event (the edge of the stands would come close to the track where there is a sizable drop) and is there an example of a stadium set-up like this that any of you can think of?
 
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