| Investors Group Field | |
|---|---|
| Location | University of Manitoba Chancellor-Matheson Road Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Broke ground | May 20, 2010 |
| Opened | June 2012 (projected) |
| Owner | Winnipeg Blue Bombers City of Winnipeg University of Manitoba[1] |
| Operator | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Surface | Turf |
| Construction cost | $190 million |
| Architect | Raymond S.C Wan |
| Capacity | 33,422[2] (40,000 with temporary seating) (football) |
| Executive Suites | 46 [3] |
| Tenants | |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) Manitoba Bisons (CIS) |
|
Investors Group Field is an approved football stadium planned for Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[4][5] The stadium is being built on the grounds of the University of Manitoba campus at the intersection of Chancellor Matheson Road and University Crescent next to the existing University Stadium.[1] This facility will be the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and the Manitoba Bisons of the CIS. Capacity will be 33,422[2] (partially covered) seats and the playing field will be covered in the winter, allowing year-round recreational use.[6] The stadium, will have a corrugated metal roof, restaurant, 52 suites, walk of fame, parking garage and other amenities.[7]
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David Asper's original proposal involved both Federal and Provincial financial contributions ($40 Million each), as well as a transfer of assets (the publicly owned Blue Bomber franchise itself will be transferred into Asper's control, and the existing undeveloped commercial real estate surrounding the stadium). As part of Creswin's commitment to the project, Asper pledged to contribute $65 Million toward the Maroons Road development. In addition to stadium construction, the Asper proposal included 217,000 sq ft (20,200 m2) of retail development and a two level parking facility.
However, Asper and Creswin were removed from the deal as they made significant changes to the stadium design which broke the original contract agreement.[8][9] The total will now come to $190 million with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers paying back $85 million and the provincial and city levels of government splitting the rest of the costs as proposed earlier.
The stadium was approved on 2 April 2009. On March 31, 2010 it was announced by the three levels of government that the stadium will begin construction in May 2010 and should be completed in time for the 2012 CFL and CIS seasons. Site excavation began in September 2010 and construction on the lower bowl began in December of that year. As of March 26, 2011, the stadium continues to be on schedule for its opening for the 2012 CFL season.[1]The project was dubbed "Project 85" by the development team in honor of retired Blue Bomber receiver Milt Stegall. Winnipeg's new facility has been taken on by the small local firm Raymond S.C. Wan Architect.[10]-
Winnipeg's new stadium incorporate a bowl layout with seats on all sides surrounding a playing surface located eight meters below ground. This arrangement creates the unique experience of entering the stadium at the concourse level with the seats cascading below. Of the 33,422 seats, 22,000 are located below ground, with an open concourse encircling the stadium that provides views to the field from every part of the stadium. The design will accommodate temporary seating over this concourse at each end zone to increase capacity to more than 40,000 for larger events such as the Grey Cup.[2] The CFL has also stated that, with the new stadium, Winnipeg will be guaranteed to host a Grey Cup.[11][12]
Winnipeg Free Press columnists Brent Bellamy in an article entitled "The Jets and a big-league stadium, too" says: "The bowl configuration creates an atmosphere of intimacy with more seats being located closer to the field. With only 52 rows, the new stadium will have nearly 25 fewer than Canad Inns Stadium, as seating will be spread more evenly around the entire field instead of in grandstands that rise up along each side. The trade-off for this proximity will be fewer seats between the goal-lines and more seats in end-zone locations."[13]
The stadium will have a large opaque metal roof, cantilevered over the seating areas, that will provide weather protection for up to 80 per cent of the seating and it will also enclose the spectator's field of vision to create an enhanced sense of intimacy. Canad Inns Stadium was known as one of the loudest stadiums in Canada, and when Blue Bomber fans come together under a solid metal roof, they will most definitely be take the atmosphere to another level. The roof is designed to have an undulating profile that will act as a baffle, capturing and redirecting sound throughout the stadium.
Providing structural support for the cantilevered roofs are two arched bow trusses that rise 57 meters over the site and span the length of the building. These steel-tube trusses connect to a system of tension cables that support the roof from above, suspending it over the seating without any columns to obstruct views. Similar to Wembley Stadium in London, England. The arches form a unique silhouette on the skyline and create an iconic architectural image that is instantly recognizable. They will also serve as a platform for dramatic lighting or fireworks displays.
The new stadium is a major-league facility and it will provide all the amenities that sports fans in North America have come to expect.[14] The most striking of these will be HDTV video screens above each end zone. If you lined the two screens up side by side, they would stretch 75 yards from center field to the back of the end zone and be almost as high as the goalposts. Each one is as large as the famous Jumbotron in Toronto's Rogers Center, once the largest in the world. The luxury suites have sold out. These suites will hang below the upper decks, which are accessed by a five-meter-wide ramp system located at each of the four corners of the stadium.Stadium [15]
Project manager Mike Clynes of Stuart Olson Dominion Construction said the following in an August 26, 2011 interview with the Winnipeg Sun: “You’re going to get an over-designed capacity of concessions. You’re going to get 22-inch-wide seats, very wide seats and extra leg room in front of you. You’re going to have a cup-holder in the seat in front of you."[16]
The west entry service road off of Chancellor Matheson Road next to the Investors Group Field will be named Ken Ploen Way, in honour of former Blue Bomber quarterback and CFL Hall of Famer, Ken Ploen.[17]
On December 14, 2011 a 12 year agreement was made with Investors Group to name the new sports and entertainment venue being constructed on the campus of the University of Manitoba, Investors Group Field.[18] Interim CEO of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Ossama AbouZeid said, “Today’s great announcement is another chapter in what will be a spectacular facility and one of the premier sports and entertainment venues in North America.”[19]
The owners of Canad Inns, a Winnipeg based hotel business and current naming rights holder for the Blue Bomber's existing stadium, forwarded a plan in 2007 to redevelop the entire site for commercial use and construct a football stadium for the Blue Bombers in another location. This proposal although rejected in favour of David Asper's plan, called for a $265-million stadium at the former Public Markets site in the St. Boniface industrial park, which Canad Inns purchased from the city. The domed stadium would have been part of a $500-million complex that would have include a four-star hotel and an indoor water park.[20]
David Asper's 2007 proposal called for a new stadium to be built where the then 54-year-old Canad Inns Stadium stood, with new retail stores. The $120-million Asper stadium would have been a semi-covered building with up to 40,000 permanent seats, a two-tier parking garage, and more retail and restaurant space. Under his plan, Asper, executive vice-president of CanWest Global Communications and a former Blue Bombers board member, would have assumed control of the CFL franchise[21] — a move that would have changed ownership of the team from public to private hands.[22]
The Blue Bombers board of Directors investigated the possibility of rebuilding or substantially upgrading the existing stadium, largely with funds generated from sale or lease of the adjacent commercial lands[23] (The team holds the right to develop this property itself as part of its refinancing agreement with the City & Province). Being a community owned business, however, the Bombers organization would have had difficulty in accessing the capital required to move forward with such plans directly. The board placed there plans on hold pending the outcome of Asper's proposal. The government was unwilling to grant Asper the $40 million at both the provincial and federal levels because they believed it to be more of a gift then a grant. They drew up a second proposal, where the same 30,000-40,000-seat stadium would be built instead in south Point Douglas. This new plan, they said, it would greatly aid in urban renewal in what is the poorest neighborhood in Winnipeg. There was also a state-of-the-art water park & hotel, commercial buildings, and several other new buildings in the multimillion dollar proposal. However there was controversy here as well since south Point Douglas is an avid art community, many of the residents didn't want their character buildings to be destroyed, or at the loss of their home. Even with poor road access in and out, and also parking was of concern.[24]
On September 13, 2008, a letter of intent was signed between Asper's Creswin Properties and the University of Manitoba, allowing planning to continue for a stadium at the intersection of Chancellor Matheson Drive and University Crescent. The site is adjacent to the current University Stadium, which was built for the 1967 Pan American Games. The new proposal includes the construction of a 33,422-seat stadium, renovation of the existing stadium, and a world-class fitness facility. Inflatable 'bubbles' covering the playing field will also be made available in both stadiums during the winter months. The new stadium would also be home of the University of Manitoba Bisons Football team. The design allows for expansion to 40,000 seats for the Grey Cup.
The stadium was approved on 2 April 2009.
On March 31, 2010 the province of Manitoba agreed to loan David Asper $90 million in order to guarantee that the project would put shovels into the ground in 2010 and ensure that the stadium would open for 2012.[25]David Asper was later removed from the deal as he made significant changes to the stadium design which broke the original contract agreement.[26][27]
Canadian Football League commissioner Mark Cohon, Premier Greg Selinger, David Asper, and Mayor Sam Katz and U of M President David Barnard officially broke ground at the site on May 20, 2010.[28]The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2012 CFL season.[29]