Metro - Toronto : Blog : It's Called Football! - The TFC Blog : B.C. to pull plug on stadium revamp?

“It’s just a rumour.”

That was President of the Vancouver Whitecaps Bob Lenarduzzi Monday on the It’s Called Football show, responding to my question of whether funding for B.C. Place funding was in jeopardy.

I’m willing to give Bob the benefit of the doubt on this one, considering he has been more than forthcoming on other occasions, but it doesn’t change the fact that the news that broke last night – that the B.C. government may no longer consider the roof a priority in this economic climate - will seriously puts a damper on Vancouver’s MLS plans.

The B.C. Liberals revealed that the $365-million upgrade to B.C. Place, which included the retractable roof, is now on hold.

“I think it will have been delayed because they had to analyze those bids,” Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger told Global News. “Not substantially delayed. The bidders have agreed to hold their bids in place.”

While a big selling point for Vancouver to MLS was the concept of an open air stadium, this announcement will be far from a death blow to the Whitecaps dreams of having a MLS franchise - although their next round of ticket sales, tentatively scheduled to begin in October, will likely have to be re-thought.

“That won’t be a great scenario for us,” Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said of the possible delay. “The fact that it was going to be an open-air stadium was something that was very appealing to the MLS.”

Sources told me late last night that the province has tabled 2010 as a likely start up – but it would depend, again, on the economic climate. They’re aware of the perceptions and what’s at stake. Where the money is going to come from remains the issue though.

The league will react to this the way they always do – diplomatically. No bids will be pulled. No heads will roll - at least, publicly.

Although, later this year, if it the province is still talking delay, you can certainly expect MLS Commissioner Don Garber to trot out one of his frenzy inducing lines – something to the tune of Vancouver’s bid is in jeopardy – or was contingent on a new stadium.

It will be designed to either light a fire under the province or force the city to take a second look at that waterfront project the Caps and Lenarduzzi originally wanted.

And the second isn’t such a bad scenario.

Tags: Bob Lenarduzzi, Vancouver Whitecaps

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Metro's Ben Rycroft writes about the Toronto Football Club and MLS in general.

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