Here comes the sun at BC Place.
At least we hope. The roof should be ready this week, but it’s already a few days late and many dollars short.
Let this be my official push for BC Place privatization. Two straight games at the stadium with a malfunctioning roof. Two straight games where climate control was a serious challenge for athletes and fans alike.
Two straight games.
When there’s really only an inventory of about 25-30 games for your two long-time tenants, and you can’t serve them — or more importantly the taxpayers — walking through the door, then enough. Sell the dome. There’s never been a better time.
Keep in mind too, that now they merely can’t open the roof, which is different than the usual refrain we get before the game when they say they won’t open it. The usual excuse is that they need to be ensured that there is a full 24-hour window of dry weather in order to facilitate an open roof.
Imagine buying a dome for a stadium in rainy Vancouver with that stipulation?
That land will net the province a massive windfall, and then maybe the next group will be able to get people in to do the job.
The province has long neglected the revenue stream of naming rights, and for no good reason. If managing the nation’s largest stadium is somehow deemed a good use of government, then why aren’t you trying to optimize that on behalf of the taxpayer?
Maybe the next people will manage it as a sports stadium too.
As a public facility, it will always give equal attention to the car shows and boat shows, and concerts. Now, a private operator will likely welcome those too but maybe will take into consideration the impact on the sports facility. Maybe a private operator would keep a hybrid grass surface intact after the World Cup in 2026.
This has all gone on long enough.
It can only be better on the other side.
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