12 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

In typical Langford can-do fashion, they azre just gonna go ahead and... do it.

TC:

Langford to build its own stadium
City has raised funds for construction of $1.5-million facility at City Centre Park
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The City of Langford is tired of waiting for a new sports stadium to be built at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre site, so it's taking matters into its own hands.

Langford says it will build a $1.5-million, 1,600-seat covered grandstand of timber and river rock -- with dressing rooms, concessions and luxury boxes -- alongside a newly-installed $1.5-million turf field at City Centre Park on Langford Parkway.

Several teams have pledged to make the stadium their home base.

Money for the stadium has been raised through development charges and $600,000 in private donations.

In addition to the turf field, the City Centre Park complex has a dryland rink at Eagle Ridge Recreation Centre, mini-golf and splash bowl. Plans also call for an ice rink, two more turf fields and a bowling alley.

Langford Mayor Stew Young said he would still like to see a 4,500-seat West Shore stadium built at the Juan de Fuca site in Colwood but felt his municipality needed to move on a stadium of its own.

"Although we believe there will be a 4,500-seat stadium down there [at Juan de Fuca] in the near future, that could still take awhile. Langford will just move ahead. We want recreation facilities now and don't want it to drag out," Young said.

"Recreation for kids -- combined with facilities for higher level teams such as the Victoria Highlanders, Victoria Rebels and our national rugby team -- will be looked after. People, especially families, are moving to Langford because they like what we're doing. This will be exciting."

Plans last January called for a grandstand of between 2,500 and 3,000 seats at City Centre Park, but that vision gave way to a West Shore Parks and Recreation stadium proposal for the Juan de Fuca site. That issue, however, has drawn the ire of cyclists and become bogged in controversy and threatened litigation because it could involve in-filling the 1994 Commonwealth Games velodrome and flattening the adjacent BMX track at Juan de Fuca.

"Because we believe WSPR [West Shore Parks and Recreation -- to which Langford belongs] will still build a 4,500-seat stadium, we scaled ours down to 1,600," said Young.

"That will do fine for Highlanders soccer and Rebels football -- that is the minimum size that will work for them."

A tender for the work was approved Monday night by Langford council and the grandstand is expected to be built in time for the Highlanders' and Rebels' 2009 seasons.

The Highlanders were considering Royal Athletic Park in Victoria and UVic's Centennial Stadium as their first-year home next summer in the United Soccer League's Premier Development League.

The expansion Highlanders as well as the junior football Rebels will begin play next spring in the new Langford venue and it could also become home base for the rugby Team Canada. That was the original plan in January.

"We had considered [Royal Athletic Park] and UVic [Centennial Stadium] and were just about to sign off on UVic when this [Langford] came along again," said Mark deFrias, the Highlanders' sales and marketing manager.

cdheensaw@tc.canwest.com

[Bernard]

Is there really enough demand for another stadium in this region? My sense is that Centennial stadium and Royal Athletic Park are not used much at the moment.

With a new one in Colwood, sometime, and now another in Langford, will they really be used all that much?

The Rebels will only play a handful of games there, the Highlanders look like they will only play 8 league games in their season.

$1 500 000 is a lot for about 13 game days? If you add playoffs and pre-season exhibition, this would only rise to about 25 games at most.

The new Seals baseball team will play 40 games at Royal Athletic Park next year, if they do not fold.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Bernard, you're sounding so ...Victorian! ;-)

PS: Maybe Langford should do a study first?

(sorry, couldn't resist - nothing personal, not trying to be snarky!)

[Bernard]

If you can get people use it, it makes sense to have it. Oh God, someone call me a Victorian.... AHHHH

Victoria drives me nuts on most days because people do not want to do anything new or innovative.

Anyway, the stadium might be a good idea but I am just trying to figure out who will be using it and when.

It might make sense in this region to have more stadiums if we have some sort of local soccer/football/rugby intracity league play.

Maybe a second Golden Baseball League team - two teams in one town helps all the league teams with travel and might make for a local rivalry.

I guess I am surprised that this is a priority for Langford. The $1 500 000 could have added meeting rooms to the Eagle Ridge rec centre, something it needs.

[mat]

Bernard, you're sounding so ...Victorian! ;-)

PS: Maybe Langford should do a study first?

(sorry, couldn't resist - nothing personal, not trying to be snarky!)

Ms B - that raised a laugh, thanks! Another impact study? Well, for this project it is necessary, but through a qualified and independent consultant (too many studies within the CRD are so much whitewash - maybe Langford can do something different).

A well designed stadium can be for more than sports (Obama election rallies come to mind) - but also concerts, flea markets, high school marching band practices (getting facetious I know).

Despite the lack of professional level sports teams on the Island, which might justify a new stadium, there are events that might be attracted (however nowhere near enough to justify the spend).

[LJ]

Got to keep all those unemployed carpenters busy.

[VicHockeyFan]

Anyone got pix of this project? I'd love to see some if anyone on here can snap a few if you live or work out that way. The Victoria Rebels coach told me they were pouring the roof today.

[Baro]

Indeed, what would a stadium made out of river rock look like?

[ressen]

not much to see yet

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Thanks for those!

[Rex250]

i actually played a game there a couple weeks ago. we lost, and the turf feild was decent. i guess it hadnt been played on enough to give it that realistic grass feel.

[Phil McAvity]

I can't figure out where this new grandstand will be. I know where the Langford Parkway is and where the Eagle Ridge rec centre is, but the location of this park baffles me.

The new Seals baseball team will play 40 games at Royal Athletic Park next year, if they do not fold.

Good point.

My pop and I went to a Capitals game or two but were heartbroken to see the league fold before the first season had even ended. Victoria might finally be ready for baseball if the Capitals are any indication since they were the only team in the league that actually made money.

[jaylow]

isn't this right beside the eagle ridge centre?
http://maps.live.com...d, BC&encType=1
this is where the Victoria highlanders are going to play