Argos interested in moving to BMO Field

[wyliepoon]

Sportsnet.ca

Link to article


Argos interested in BMO move?
September 11, 2007
Sportsnet.ca


By Perry Lefko, Sportsnet.ca

The owners of the Argonauts are committed to remain custodians of the team for a long period of time.

But Sportsnet.ca has learned Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon have begun initial research into possibly moving the team from the Rogers Centre to the newly-built BMO Field, if it could be retrofitted for football and expanded beyond the initial stadium size of 25,000 seats.

"We're here for the long haul," Cynamon told the media on Tuesday to diffuse rumours he and Sokolowski are looking to sell the team, which they bought after the 2003 season. "We made that clear from day one. We're in our fourth season. We have accomplished a lot with this team, but not everything. We enjoy operating and owning this team and we have absolutely no plans to depart our current situation whatsover.

"That's why I laugh at those rumours," Cynamon added. "Find me one person that we've had any discussions with and I'll admit it. It just doesn't exist. We don't even discuss it."

The Argo ownership reportedly has an option to play host to the Grey Cup in the next four years and sources suggest the target year is 2012. The Argos play host to the game this year for the first time in 15 years and it's expected to be a sellout that will reap a profit of $4 million to $5 million.

While happy with the setup at Rogers Centre, Cynamon and Sokolowski have begun initial exploration into the viability of possibly playing their home games at BMO Field, which is in it first year of operation and was one of the sites used for the World Under-20 soccer tournament. It is located on the same grounds where the Argos played their games at Exhibition Stadium until moving nearby to SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in 1989.

"We're starting to look at (moving) as a possibility, but we're really at the early stages," Cynamon said. "First of all, it's only been opened a year or so. We're all assessing the good and bad of the stadium. Second of all, it's not CFL ready, let alone enough seats for our fans. You've got those two hurdles that you have to deal with, which means you couldn't move there tomorrow if you wanted to. All that has to be assessed as far as what that would cost. What does that mean for our fan base? What does it means to shrink down the stadium size? What does all that mean? That's not anything we've done extensively yet, but we've never ruled it out. We definitely are going to investigate it."

 

[ShonTron]

One issue is that the Argos play well into the fall, with the playoffs going well into November. While the Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and Regina make do with an open air stadium (BC being the other exception), Skydome offers a climate-controlled, enclosed space that's still easier to get to by subway and GO (if you're not coming from the Lakeshore Line).

BMO Field would need a lot of retrofit (more seats, perhaps shelter), but the idea is interesting. The Alouettes did better by moving to a smaller, open stadium downtown after leaving the Big Owe.

 

[Hydrogen]

But then again, there is nothing like freezing your ass off during a good football game.

 

[billonlogan]

expansion?

I hate the Rogers Centre for football. Moving to BMO Field would make sense.

Also, an MLSR source close to Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects, the firm which designed BMO Field states that the firm was hired to draw up plans for expanding the newly complete BMO Field facilities, home of Toronto FC. This request came from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and is said to consist of two plans or phases.
Phase one would consist of two parts (a and b) which would see BMO Field's 20,200 capacity increased by 5,000 to each time to reach a total capacity of 30,500.

Phase two would see the addition of a partial canopy roof as seen above many stadiums around the world.

When asked when these changes might take place our source said that if ticket demand remained high next season then we could see phase one construction in the 2009 and 2010 off seasons and phase two sometime around 2012-2013.

 

[Jarrek]

But that preliminary work done on expanding the stadium didn't take into account that the Argos might play at BMO.

Personally, I don't like the idea of Gridiron at BMO. The teams owners shafted soccer when there were plans to build at York U, and now they want to suddenly move to BMO?

I think it's just a ploy to get a better lease agreement at Rogers.

 

[Andrew3D]

One issue is that the Argos play well into the fall, with the playoffs going well into November. While the Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and Regina make do with an open air stadium (BC being the other exception), Skydome offers a climate-controlled, enclosed space that's still easier to get to by subway and GO (if you're not coming from the Lakeshore Line).

BMO Field would need a lot of retrofit (more seats, perhaps shelter), but the idea is interesting. The Alouettes did better by moving to a smaller, open stadium downtown after leaving the Big Owe.

Half of the fun of going to a football game is freezing your ass off being outside at the cusp of the Canadian winter. The stillness of the air inside the Rogers Centre during a game I find actually takes away from the experience. I'd be all for moving the team back outdoors.

And as for transportation, it's an easy streetcar jump, or GO Trip and lets not forget a large percentage of the crowd come from the burbs and at the Ex they could hold true tail gate parties.

 

[passthedutchie]

Fine. Go outdoors, but not BMO Field. That is the National SOCCER stadium.

It is only a short amount of time before that god-awful artificial pitch is history. And when that happens, there is no way the soccer team would allow any football team near it.

Why not the area they practice at?? It's probably more appropriate. Or, would anybody be disappointed with the Mississauga Argos?

 

[Blixtein]

Get lost Argos. THIS IS OUR HOUSE.

 

[notyouagain]

Actually, this is the taxpayers' house. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we build yet another sport-specific half used sport facility at the taxpayers' expense?

 

[passthedutchie]

Actually, this is the taxpayers' house. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we build yet another sport-specific half used sport facility at the taxpayers' expense?

Ya and why not ruin a good soccer pitch because we have to keep around a dying sport and a dying team.

 

[Jarrek]

Actually, this is the taxpayers' house. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we build yet another sport-specific half used sport facility at the taxpayers' expense?

So why are they exploring the possibilities of moving out of the Skydome - something that cost 10-15 more times to build than BMO Field?

I got no love for this plan.

 

[Edward]

So why are they exploring the possibilities of moving out of the Skydome - something that cost 10-15 more times to build than BMO Field?

Not to mention leaving the now torn down stadium that was located close to where BMO Field currently sits.

 

[dowlingm]

I'd love to see a truly multifunctional BMO Field. The artificial surface could be overlaid by a grass surface wheeled in from outside so soccer and rugby would essentially be played on a surface maybe a foot or two higher than CFL or whatever.

What's that you say?
"FFS that thing was built so cheap the bolts fell out"?
"Toronto would build a stadium as ambitious as the Sapporo Dome about the same time George W turned pacifist and took a vow of poverty"?
"How dare you interfere with the latest City-supported MLSE cash cow"?

I'll get me coat...

 

[wyliepoon]

Star

Link to article

T.O. mayor opens door for Argos to play at BMO Field


Mar 26, 2008 04:30 AM
Rick Matsumoto
Jim Byers
Staff Reporters

The Toronto Argonauts might get the outdoor stadium they've been searching for after all.

Toronto mayor David Miller told the Star yesterday that he recently met with team co-owner Howard Sokolowski and that it's possible the team could be accommodated at BMO Field at Exhibition Place.

"The stadium is a big success right now and Toronto FC (the city's Major League Soccer franchise) is a big success. It looks like the stadium may have to expand to meet the needs of soccer and at that time we could consider (having the Argos as a tenant)," Miller said.

Sokolowski said last night that he met with Miller primarily to thank the mayor for his support of the Argos and the CFL when the issue of the Buffalo Bills coming to Toronto for some of their games came up in January. He said there's only been casual talk of the Argos playing at BMO Field for their June 19 pre-season game against Hamilton, nothing more.

"Those talks are very, very premature," Sokolowski said.

The Argos, who have 14,000 season ticket holders, drew 20,000 for last year's pre-season game at the Rogers Centre.

BMO Field is configured for soccer and would not accommodate a regulation-sized CFL field, but Sokolowski said allowances might be made for a pre-season game.

"I don't think it would be an issue for a pre-season game," he said.

Sokolowski said he hasn't spoken to the CFL about the possibility of changing the venue for the game.

Miller said he didn't know what sort of timing would be involved for a permanent move by the Argos to BMO Field or how many seats the Argos might want added to the city-owned facility which opened last year. It seats 20,000.

The Argos averaged 31,000 last year at the Rogers Centre. Sokolowski said they'd need at least that many seats.

Toronto city councillor Mark Grimes said he understands the original designs for BMO Field left room for 10,000 seats to be added to the east side of the stadium. Previous estimates have put the cost of such an expansion at between $10 million and $20 million.

The Argos are going into the fifth year of a their rental agreement with the Rogers Centre, which includes two additional five-year options.

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

Daft idea. No one is well served by shifting the Argos to BMO.

TFC supporters will lose the "intimacy" as they'll have to have the seats further from the pitch to accomodate end zones on a CFL surface. The Argos lose the potential to have more than 30,000 (or whatever the expanded BMO would hold) people at a game, unless they end up switiching to the Skydome every time it looks like they can sell more than xx,000 seats. I bet Ted Rogers would hold their arses to the flame if they wanted to rent the Skydome for a Grey Cup after they've turned their back on it and went to BMO.

I agree with the idea of sitting outside for CFL but they could just have the dome open regardless of the weather. However, I grew up going to BC Lions games in BC Place (except for a few years at Empire stadium, if you want shabby...), and I find sitting inside completely normal. That being said, I've seasons tickets for both, so really BMO would mena one bus ride on the 29 for every sporting occasion.....