December 22, 2009
> 2010 season tickets
(VANCOUVER) The wait is over for the BC Lions Football Club and its fans as the BC Pavilion Corporation (PAVCO) along with officials from the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) announced today that a temporary stadium will be constructed on the grounds of Empire Fields.
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“We are very excited about today’s announcement and it’s an early Christmas gift for our fans,” said Lions vice president, business, George Chayka. “We have a tremendous opportunity in 2010 to provide our fans with a season to remember as we return to the birthplace of Lions football for the first time in 27 years.”
The one-year move to Empire Fields became necessary following PAVCO’s announcement earlier this year that construction on a new retractable roof for BC Place would not be completed until July 2011. The BC Lions will host the 99th Grey Cup at BC Place in November 2011.
“After one look at the conceptual drawings I believe our fans will be very impressed with what we have in store next year,” added Chayka.
Completely enclosed on all four sides with an approximate seating capacity of 27,500, the new Lions’ den will be a cozy fit for fans. Individual seats totaling 20,100 will run along the side lines and another 7,400 bench-style seats will occupy the end zones. Sideline seats between the goal lines will be covered and a limited number of private boxes will also be constructed along with media facilities, concessions, stadium level lighting, scoreboards, a video board and washrooms.
Quick Facts:
• Location: Empire Fields at the PNE, previous site of Empire Stadium
• Seating capacity: 27,500 seats - sideline seats will be covered
• Number of private boxes: 12
• Cost: $14 million including site preparation, covered by PavCo’s operational budget
• Builder: Nussli
• Construction period: Approximately 10 weeks
• Number of seating technicians required to build stadium: 50-60, of which 70% will be sourced locally
• Materials: Approximately 2,500 tons, enough to fill 160 40-foot containers; much of the stadium materials will eventually be reused
• Stadium lighting will allow games to be played at night
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