There was much rejoicing on campus streets at the beginning of July, and it was good. Okay, so there wasn’t really a celebration, but U of T students received good news about the building of new athletic facilities on campus just a short time ago.
On June 30 Governing Council voted in favour of going ahead with the latest Varsity Centre proposal, which was outlined in last month’s Varsity0. The plan calls for the creation of a 5,000-seat stadium where Varsity Field now sits, along with an inflatable bubble for winter use; the building of a wellness centre to provide more athletic facilities; and the eventual refurbishing of Varsity Arena.
Funding for phase one of the plan is already in place, as this money is coming out of the pockets of U of T itself. Phase one includes the design of a master plan and all the renovations to Varsity Stadium, excluding the inflatable bubble that will be built for winter use.
“The first phase of the project has been thoroughly costed by the university and we are confident that it will come under budget,” said Bruce Kidd, dean of the Faculty of Phys. Ed. and Health. “We are confident that by a year from now we will be able to open the facility.”
Funding for the other phases of the project has not been attained yet, but those involved with the project are confident that private donors and corporate sponsors will be found to provide the needed capital. Only sponsors who are acceptable to university’s ethics policies will be allowed to sponsor the new buildings or buy naming rights to the new stadium.
“We have to be as entrepreneurial as we can, but ethical at the same time by recognizing the values of the university. We want to get a sponsor who will make the university feel proud,” commented Kidd. “Tobacco and alcohol companies are ruled out by policy.”
Kidd realizes that many professors and students alike are wary of selling sponsorship and naming rights, but says that they are necessary evils for a project of this magnitude. He realizes the economic realities that U of T faces and is not under the illusion that governments, students, or alumni will be able to foot the construction bill.
“Governments have told us that they are not interested in funding this project and U of t has used up its borrowing capacity,” said Kidd. “We would much rather name the stadium to honour an alumnus or pay for the project through philanthropy, and it would be terrific if the student body said they want Varsity Stadium to be a sponsorship-free facility, but it’s a very difficult business.”
On the other hand, the dean is optimistic that the new stadium, complete with giant dome, will be able to provide students and the community many more hours of usage than the current field.
“From the middle of November to mid-March we will have a bubble covering the field,” reveals Kidd. The bubble technology has improved over the last twenty years and it will dramatically increase usage.”
Diamond + Schmitt Architects, Inc. and Ellerbe Beckett, an American company, have been hired as consultants for the building project now that it has received the go-ahead from Governing Council. If all goes well, when students start the 2006-2007 school year they will have a brand new stadium to call their own.
