During the press conference announcing Surrey’s winning of the 2012 BC Summer Games, Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg spilt some secret beans.
Hogg lauded the City of Surrey for its outstanding athletic facilities and the new athletic infrastructure that has been built in the city in the past decade. He admitted, however, there is still one component missing – a stadium to host big events.
“It’s something that has been talked about for years for Bear Creek Park or South Surrey Athletic Park and there is a lot of interest in it,” he said. “Hopefully an event like this will make Surrey well positioned for doing something like that.
“All of the MLAs from Surrey and Mayor Watts have been actively pursuing it and we want to look at ways to cooperate and coordinate the development of that. Surrey is growing to be the biggest metropolis of British Columbia in the near future and we really need to have a stadium for all of the activities that can take place there.”
I sincerely hope that these talks are progressing quickly. While stadiums aren’t the best economic or civic investment possible, they do contribute quite heavily to culture and the identity of a city.
The best project we could undertake would be something similar to the soon-to-be-open Events Centre in Langley Township. That multi-purpose building incorporates a 4,000 seater arena, in addition to 500 seater exhibition hall, and various community sports amenities.
Talks of a such a stadium have existed for decades, with calls for a facility in Tynehead Park, Green Timbers, the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Sunnyside Acres, Bear Creek, or near Scott Road SkyTrain station. I strongly believe if built, it should be in the heart of the City Centre.
Constructing a mutli-purpose oval in the City Centre would be a major investment that’s bound to show payoff, during and beyond the 2012 BC Summer Games. The City currently lacks both a major stadium and any significant exhibiton space. Accomodating both these needs in a new multi-purpose oval – right in the middle of our burgeoning downtown – will surely show spinoffs.
Such a stadium could easily be built south of the new Surrey Games Preparation Centre at Tom Binnie Park. There’s currently an artificial turf field, as well as the training field for the BC Lions. The City owns this land. A new stadium on this site wouldn’t require a land purchase, would entice the Lions to stay in Surrey, would stimulate increased development in the City Centre, create a sport precinct in the area (with the Games Prep Centre and the Whalley Ball Park next door), and is a block from the Gateway SkyTrain station.
For comparison’s sake, the site I suggested is actually larger than the current GM Place.
They should totally make multiple use stadium there just they should make sure it has an openable roof for soccer =P
also I originally thought the corner of 108 and west whalley ring would be perfect for a hockey arena like gm place. the area is about the size of gm place
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