Features

Halifax CFL stadium proposal revised

Schooner Sports and Entertainment (SSE), the group seeking to develop a new stadium in the city of Halifax that would house a Canadian Football League (CFL) expansion franchise, has amended its proposal to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

The new proposal mitigates HRM’s risk and provides an option for a new ownership model, as well as clarifying how the municipality will fully recoup its annual contribution with the potential for profit sharing.

In September, the City of Halifax lifted the lid on the stadium proposal, which is valued at up to C$110m (£64.2m/€75.2m/$83.2m). The CFL team would be known as the Atlantic Schooners and the details emerged after the original proposal was submitted in August.

SSE said the revised proposal presents the best and lowest risk opportunity for Halifax to “get the stadium it needs”. The new proposal has been outlined after a council vote last month revealed doubts over the plans.

Under the new proposal, SSE would contribute tens of millions of dollars directly towards stadium construction and fund all ongoing capital expenses and operational expenses, regardless of ownership structure. HRM will also decide who owns the stadium.

Anthony LeBlanc, founding partner of SSE, said: “Since submitting our proposal in August 2019, we have been listening to public feedback and concerns of residents, specifically around risk to the municipality.

“An HRM Community Stadium is a game changer for the region. Our revised proposal takes this feedback into consideration and provides HRM with a community stadium proposal that is the best deal for HRM, and, in fact, better than any stadium jurisdiction in North America.”

The stadium would have a capacity of at least 24,000 and include an inflatable winter sports dome. It would be open for 300-plus days a year for community sport and recreation use, hosting 10 CFL games and one to two concerts per year.

Image: Schooner Sports and Entertainment