BC Place Stadium to be ready by Fall

Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 1:21PM ESTLast updated Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 1:25PM EST0 comments

Renovations to BC Place Stadium should be complete by Sept. 30, 2011, BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) said Monday.

PavCo, the provincial crown corporation overseeing the $563-million renovation, had been hesitant to specify a date in its public comments, and routinely referred to “late fall” when asked about completion. But according to a press release Monday, the 36 masts and compression beams that make up the steel superstructure are now in place, and that the support system for the new retractable roof is now being installed.

“Our September 30th scheduled completion is also dependent on weather or other factors beyond our control,” PavCo chairman David Podmore said. “While we will do our level best to be ready on that date, we will, of course, always put the safety of our talented and dedicated workers ahead of any other consideration.

“Nonetheless, construction at BC Place is progressing so well, that we are now at a point where we can confidently set the re-opening date.”

The Canadian Football League’s BC Lions, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer will both call the new stadium home, and both clubs had been waiting for a firm completion date to finalize their 2011 schedules.

The MLS regular season ends on Oct. 23, while the CFL season concludes on Nov. 6. Should the stadium be ready for Sept. 30, both teams will be able to host games in their new digs.

The sides have already held a coin-toss to determine which team gets to host the opening event at BC Place.

View the original article here