Commonwealth Stadium

[kcantor]

If you are going to renovate instead of building new then do it correctly. Expand the concourse and bring seats closer to the field would be atop my list of priorities.

If you’re going to do it correctly, in my opinion you take out the existing field and lower it 20’ (or whatever it works out to), slope the banks at an appropriate angle to add “on grade” seating that doesn’t need to be structurally supported and is closer the action and voila - you have a “third tier” that is now close to the field at its new level.

That new seating and what is now the lower bowl (and which would become the middle bowl) would be just about perfectly sized for the CFL and the upper bowl could remain permanently closed except for “one-off” events like Pink or Metallica or a Grey Cup noting that the lower/smaller field level would also make those events more attractive while adding better noise attenuation at the same time.

 

[TAS]

^in September 1971 it was...

Never knew there was a downtown stadium proposed back then.

 

[Airboy]

The earlier proposal also had an NHL rink in it. I believe the Omiplex had a floor that could be raised.

 

[IanO]

Never knew there was a downtown stadium proposed back then.

Multiple options and designs.

 

[Ned]

If you’re going to do it correctly, in my opinion you take out the existing field and lower it 20’ (or whatever it works out to), slope the banks at an appropriate angle to add “on grade” seating that doesn’t need to be structurally supported and is closer the action and voila - you have a “third tier” that is now close to the field at its new level.

That new seating and what is now the lower bowl (and which would become the middle bowl) would be just about perfectly sized for the CFL and the upper bowl could remain permanently closed except for “one-off” events like Pink or Metallica or a Grey Cup noting that the lower/smaller field level would also make those events more attractive while adding better noise attenuation at the same time.

At Commonwealth on Saturday I took a look at the lower bowl grade and it was approximately a 2.25 horizontal to 1 vertical. With Google Earth measurements, Commonwealth is about 5.5m further from the action than Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. That would work out to lowering the field approximately 2.4m to make the stadiums comparable. The old seats would be further from the action doing this, but it creates the illusion of being on top of the action and adds to the atmosphere. As for the concourse, I would be curious to know how they plan to improve flow. I could see widening the north and south ends to be not much of an issue, but how to do that on the east and west ends with load bearing supports on each side of the concourse now.

 

[David A]

Why mend when you can spend eh? Pretty sure the governments and the billionaires have better uses for a quarter bill+

I think the reason people are suddenly so against Commonwealth is that it represents a time when the city was actually capable of delivering a project on time and on budget.

Bad reference point to have hanging around these days...

Well its always fun to spend other peoples money on shiny new things, except the other people who have to pay for it aren't so keen on it.

I don't think the current provincial government is eager to spend more in Edmonton than on the Calgary arena, the city doesn't have the money, billionaires have already put theirs into an NHL arena which actually is a much better idea than a CFL stadium and we also already raided the CRL fund for that arena.

 

[MacLac]

Not Commonwealth…..but…

 

[TAS]

I expected Edmonton would be announced host of 2026 Grey Cup as we reportedly put a bid in. We last hosted in 2018.

However, league announced it is going to Calgary who last hosted more recently than us in 2019.

2026 Grey Cup expected to deliver $50-million economic spike for Calgary

The 2026 edition of the CFL's championship game is coming to Calgary and that will mean around $50 million in economic spinoffs.

calgaryherald.com

 

[Barnaby]

It's a horrible facility that isn't deserving of a Grey Cup. I'm disappointed with the CFL.

 

[David A]

It's a horrible facility that isn't deserving of a Grey Cup. I'm disappointed with the CFL.

This is disappointing as Commonwealth Stadium is a better facility and with the new ownership here it would have been a good time for the CFL to support Edmonton.

I do feel a lot of the eastern based Toronto-centric organizations can be very myopic when it comes to our city, so I am not that surprised.

 

[archited]

Most Torontonians have not and care not to visit Edmonton -- to them it is somewhere off the edge of the Flat World.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Most Torontonians have not and care not to visit Edmonton -- to them it is somewhere off the edge of the Flat World.

Most Torontonians could care less about places like Hamilton which is down the road from them.

 

[Airboy]

Most Torontonians could care less about places like Hamilton which is down the road from them.

Hell most Torontonians don't even know their own city. When I lived there in the 80s and 90s I was always shocked at how many people I met that didn't know their city. They would occasionally go to the CNE, Ontario place or a theater but explore the different neighborhoods was not in the plan.

 

[David A]

Hell most Torontonians don't even know their own city. When I lived there in the 80s and 90s I was always shocked at how many people I met that didn't know their city. They would occasionally go to the CNE, Ontario place or a theater but explore the different neighborhoods was not in the plan.

Given the size of the city, I realize it must be fairly difficult for people to travel to other parts particularly at busy times, so that is not too surprising. Of course we have suburbanites here who live relatively isolated lives too.

Maybe it is because TO is not a national capital, it aspires to be a world class city but not one with great national awareness.