The controversial plan to build a new 25,000-seat Varsity Stadium at the corner of Bloor Street and Devonshire Place collapsed last Friday when U of T abruptly announced that it could no longer afford to pay its share of the cost.
The stadium was to have been built on the old Varsity stadium site and would house the Toronto Argonauts, The Canadian Soccer Association and U of T’s various varsity and intramural sports teams. The now-dead project was also to be the site of other major events such as the 2007 FIFA Under-21 World Cup, hosted by the City of Toronto. The project was to have been funded jointly by U of T, the Argos, the CSA, and the federal and provincial governments.
U of T announced in a press release on Thursday, however, that it was cancelling the project because it was “sidelined by the cost,” as price estimates had risen from initial estimates of $80 million to well over $100 million. Design changes necessitated by land disputes and noise restrictions were blamed for the climbing cost.
Argonauts owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski initially said they were “surprised, saddened and disappointed” by the university’s decision, but were later quoted in the Globe and Mail and other papers as saying the decision was “political.”
The exact nature of those political factors remains hazy, but the stadium project had come under intense criticism from within the university; Trinity College was especially vocal in its doubts about the project, worrying publicly that the stadium, which would have been built directly behind Trinity’s main building, would be too noisy.
“I would be surprised if the Argos really knew [about the ramifications of the proposal],” said Dr. Bruce Bowden, Registrar at Trinity College. “Noise is a major issue for residences holding 450 students and a library very close…it’s unrealistic to think that all ventures will remain quiet [during exams and convocations].”
“Undoubtedly we need one, but maybe not a 25,000-seater,” said Students’ Administrative Council president Rini Ghosh. “It would be [a] huge disruption to campus life and security, we should not be making our students subject to this kind of disruption.”
Under the plan, the $30-million dollar debt incurred by the university would have been financed commercially, with the Argos agreeing to pay the interest. None of the money would have come directly from students.
“I’m doubly sorry about the cancellation of the Varsity project,” said Bruce Kidd, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, “We’re deeply committed to getting another version of a new stadium underway as soon as possible.”
Many sources were already speculating on a contingency plan to build a smaller, less commercial stadium. In the Thursday press release, Jon Dellandrea, U of T’s vice president and chief advancement officer, was quoted as saying “we will now need to re-evaluate available options,” but did not go into specifics.
Whether or not the Argos would still be housed under the contingency plan was uncertain but seemed unlikely given the press release by the Argos stating that they “will continue to work to find a new home for our team.” A new stadium on the campus of York University was already being speculated on over the weekend.
With aging athletic facilities, the need for a new stadium at the University of Toronto goes undisputed. John Robb, a Program Manager at the Athletic Centre, who oversees field bookings for the St. George campus, said the stadium was “badly needed to accommodate the student programs.
“The fields are in rough shape already, pretty worn away after the first month of the fall term” added Robb. Artificial turf surfaces-which would have been used under the Stadium’s failed plan-are much more durable than regular grass. “The need for an artificial turf surface will be ever expanding with the growth of students in the future.”
The stadium would not just have provided a new playing field, but new indoor athletic facilities, ones that the Phys. Ed. Faculty feels is badly needed, as U of T’s Athletic Centre is straining to accommodate its users already.
“Space is maxed out,” said Christian Hajok, the facilities administrative assistant who charges bookings and rentals at the Athletic Centre. “The Faculty of Physical Education and Health programs don’t even fit within building hours,” said Hajok.
Despite opposing the Varsity Centre project, Bowden agreed that the university needs to build more sports facilities. “I’m especially concerned with [Varsity and Intramural] sports, which are a very big attraction to students.”
The abrupt cancellation of the project was the topic of conversation among Varsity sports teams and administrators all day Thursday and Friday, and even attracted the attention of several national news outlets. Said one AC staff member: “They grabbed me, the CTV people!”
