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Feb 5,2006 - Feb 12,2006 |
Soccer stadium controversy still exists
Federal and Toronto city officials vow to keep pressure on Ottawa
By Angelo Persichilli
Originally Published: 2005-10-23
A big step towards the construction a new soccer stadium in Toronto was been this past week when the representatives of the City of Toronto reached a tentative agreement with the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the Canadian Soccer Association, and the CNE to build the new structure at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The agreement, that was reached after 9 days of difficult negotiations, needs now to be ratified by the Toronto City Council next week.
Particularly happy, the deputy major of Toronto Joe Pantalone: "It is a wonderful news," he told Tandem. Pantalone says that it is about time that Toronto has a top notch soccer stadium capable of hosting international competitions like the Under 20 World Soccer Tournament that will take place in Canada in 2007. The announcement has been welcomed with a certain degree of optimism by Joe Volpe, federal Immigration Minister, and Minister responsible for Ontario and GTA: "I don't know the details, but I thing it's a step in the right direction". Volpe says that he has no objection to the soccer stadium at the CNE "or any other place, as long as the guarantees requested by the federal government is met."
Volpe has always asked for a commitment to build the stadium in time for the 2007 soccer tournament, a guarantee that the City will assume all the cost overrun during the construction of the stadium, and a specific commitment from the City Council.
Those conditions seem to have been met by the agreement reached this week.
Here there are the details.
The City of Toronto will commit $9.8 million while MLSE will contribute $18 million (even though they will own naming rights for a maximum of $10 million). MLSE will also guarantee in writing that the stadium will be ready for June 2007, in time for the start of the FIFA 2007 Soccer championship, and that it will be responsible for any construction cost overruns.
As for the City of Toronto, they will own the stadium and will assume responsibility, along with MLSE and in equal share, for any operational losses once the stadium is in activity.
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