Thursday, May 08, 2025

What's A Little (Park) Land Swap Among Friends?



ParksBoard?
WeDon'tNeedNoStinkingParksBoard!Ville



I'm pretty sure Dr. Beer is not going to be happy about this one, as reported by Bob Mackin a few weeks ago:

The Whitecaps’ ownership confirmed in an early evening statement on April 4 that they are “currently in discussion with the City of Vancouver regarding the construction of a stadium at the PNE fairgrounds site.”

A source told theBreaker.news that the two parties have a memorandum of understanding to explore building a soccer-specific stadium at Hastings Racecourse...

{snip}

...The Hastings Racecourse land could be transferred to the Whitecaps’ new owner, who would be responsible for financing the stadium project...


Apparently, this is being done to help convince a new buyer to take the Whitecaps off the hands of Greg Kerfoot and friends who have seen the value of the club rise from $30 million when he bought it in 2002 to an estimated $470 million today.

Which begs the question, why, as Andy Yang has asked, should we, the citizens of Vancouver, be subsidizing the playthings of billionaires?

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim's answer to that question is the following:

“What we’re going to focus on here is the fact that the Whitecaps might leave the region. And so we’ll look at everything … we will do whatever we can, within our power, that makes sense for the residents of Vancouver to keep the team in the region.”


The argument, apparently, is that if you sweetheart the deal into the stratosphere the new billionaire (which the way things often go as these gambits play out may turn out to be the same billionaire) will take pity on us once they've got what they want and keep the team in Lotusland.

In the meantime, a big chunk of a public park will be gone forever and there is no guarantee that either the CondoKings or the CasinoCorps (or both) won't move in for the duration.


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CityHallWatch
has more....Much more.
As for the state of play amongst the real Whitecaps fans these days....Tim Bray walked (and stood) among the Southsiders recently and had a heckuva time. 


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13 comments:

GarFish said...

That's a big red card...

DGR said...

I think I’m starting to understand the rush to get rid of the Parks Board. Where’s the Soccer Party when you need them?

RossK said...

Forget it DRG....errrrr...Jake.

It's Soccer Town.

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RossK said...

GF--

Very big, indeed. And without a fake fall in sight!

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GarFish said...

My thought too!

GarFish said...

A little off topic, but this made me howl... https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/05/take-a-look-at-this-collaborationist-piece-of-shit

Evil Eye said...

It's the old BC Stadium con game, where the rich get richer on the backs of the taxpayer.

Politicians who do not give a damn about livable housing or the sewer of the DTES, tend to go googly eyes at sports teams and stadiums.

Evil eye said...

I see the Eby is getting worried about giving in to ABC wanting to get rid of the Parks Board. It seems the NDP's drubbing in the federal election and close call in the last provincial election has Eby and the NDP looking over their shoulder.

If the Cons dig a little deeper, they may find the NDP's involvement with SkyTrain ripe with questionable activities.

JP said...

A new colosseum for the masses!

RossK said...

Question is...Did the good Dr. receive a golden cello with that new $US 3M annual salary?

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Keith said...

Vancouver in one sentence.

To paraphrase Oscar Wllde;

“ Where a cynic knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing”

Anonymous said...

Abc just lost 2 seats?

Anonymous said...

Cityhallwatch