Empire Field
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS ) (2011) |
Empire Field was a temporary
The venue was constructed by
History
Empire Field was built on the same lot as Empire Stadium, which was originally built for the
Following a 2007 roof deflation at BC Place, Premier
To allow the Lions to continue playing as normal and support the new Whitecaps franchise, PavCo decided to build the temporary venue at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Hastings Park in eastern Vancouver.[8] Because BC Place was to be used as the Olympic Stadium during the 2010 Winter Olympics, refurbishment could not start until after February 2010. The details for the stadium were released by PNE and PavCo on December 22, 2009. The venue cost $14.4 million in a fixed-price contract, and was included in the $458 million set aside to renovate BC Place. Representatives from both teams stated that they hoped to play on the nostalgia factor for the affected seasons.[3] The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation stated immediately after the press release that they had not been consulted or informed about the decision to build a professional sports venue on their grounds. Although the board was responsible for operating the facilities, the land was owned by PNE, which is again owned by the city. There were no public hearings or a city council vote to decide on the issue.[4]
The contract to build the stadium was issued the Nussli Group of Switzerland, which specializes in the construction of temporary stadiums.[9] They used their NT grandstand system, which allowed for modular construction of stands. Construction implemented 2,500 tonnes of material.[10] Nussli's senior project manager, Florian Weber, stated that the most difficult part of the construction was the occupancy permit, caused by the short construction schedule.[9] Construction took 111 days,[11] and was completed in late June 2010.[10] Several commentators stated that use of temporary stadiums on a permanent basis could be used for other MLS and CFL stadia. For instance, the price of building an 18,500 seat permanent soccer-specific stadium was averaging $200 million.[11]
After the reopening of BC Place, the stands at Empire Field were disassembled in November and December 2011, with the turf, locker rooms and lighting masts being left behind.[4] Equipment and components leased from Nussli were returned.[12] Public consultations regarding use of the lot were conducted until June 2012, after which it was decided to create a community sports park. It features a mountain bike park to the north, a 3.9-meter (13 ft) wide running track around the field and a skateboarding and graffiti tunnel. The area around the turf was expanded, allowing for two east–west fields, rather than one north–south.[4] The legacy items were valued at $2.8 million in 2010.[9]
Specifications
Empire Field was located in Hastings Park, in the Vancouver neighbourhood of
The stadium featured a seating capacity of 27,528,
Compared to BC Place, Empire Field's seats were located closer to the field, giving a more intimate fan experience. The use of Empire Field deteriorated the Lions' strong
Events
The Lions opened the venue on June 20, 2010, with a pre-season 36–32 loss against the
The Whitecaps, who would play their
The stadium hosted a concert with Bryan Adams and The Beach Boys on August 21, 2010, to celebrate the centennial anniversary of PNE.[25]
References
- ^ a b MacMahon, Martin (September 22, 2011). "Vancouver will remember Empire Field fondly as finale nears". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ^ a b Writes, Tobi (January 6, 2010). "Empire Stadium Reborn: Why The CFL BOG Will Insist It Sucks". Bleacher Report.
- ^ a b c d Little, Lyndon (December 22, 2009). "With temporary stadium, Lions, Whitecaps bank on nostalgia". Canwest. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010.
- ^ The Vancouver Courier. Archived from the originalon August 30, 2012.
- ^ "B.C. Place stadium to get retractable roof". The Sports Network. May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "BC Place to get $458 million upgrade". Vancouver Sun. May 16, 2008. Archived from the original on December 26, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ "BC Place retractable-roof project delayed". CBC News. August 25, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ a b Morris, Jim (August 25, 2009). "B.C. Place to be gussied up in time for 2011 Grey Cup". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ Journal of Commerce. Archived from the originalon May 7, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Temporary Stadium, Empire Field Vancouver". Nussli Group. June 2010.
- ^ a b Savino, Christopher (May 28, 2011). "Is there a lower cost option for MLS clubs?". Goal.com.
- ^ Kuhland, Karin (November 2010). "A Real Novelty in North America" (PDF). Update. Nussli Group. pp. 3–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2011.
- ^ "Hastings Park / PNE Master Plan". Pacific National Exhibition.
- ^ "Governance". Pacific National Exhibition.
- ^ a b c Sekeres, Matthew (September 11, 2011). "B.C. Lions say good riddance to Empire Field". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Kieltyka, Matt (September 23, 2011). "A fond farewell to Empire Field". Metro Vancouver. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ^ Pabillano, Jhenifer (July 6, 2010). "The Football Special helps get you to Lions games this year". The Buzzer. TransLink. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ "Transit and parking information". BC Lions. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011.
- ^ "BC Place turns into state-of-the-art facility". Sportsnet. September 29, 2011.
- ^ a b c "2010 BC Lions Schedule". BC Lions. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ^ "2010 CFL Attendance". CFLDB.
- ^ a b "2011 BC Lions Schedule". BC Lions. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ^ "Lions, Whitecaps to play temporarily at Empire Stadium". Vancouver Sun. December 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 16, 2010.
- ^ "Schedule". Major League Soccer.
- ^ Lederman, Marsha (June 22, 2010). "Bryan Adams, Beach Boys set to play PNE". The Globe and Mail.