$700 million, 35,000 seat cricket stadium planned for Toronto

[Reggie Dunlop]

Really?



http://globalnews.ca/news/1438253/70...coming-to-gta/

[jayswin]

Cool. Not my money, so I'd like to see it built, just because it looks like a world-first in design. Too bad the three potential sites will leave it out of the Toronto skyline photos, because it looks really cool.

[jayswin]

[Nuje]

So the Jays and Toronto FC are fighting over who has to take on the Argos (because they both want to have real grass), but they're building a stadium for cricket?? I'm far from a baseball fan, but at least people sort of watch it on this continent. Odd.

[Da_Chief]

Read that a few days ago. Great news. T20 has really been taking off last few years. So can see big tournys coming here. Also this will definitely be a stadium Pakistan will like to use (they're not allowed to play in Pakistan so they usually play in UAE).

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Nuje

So the Jays and Toronto FC are fighting over who has to take on the Argos (because they both want to have real grass), but they're building a stadium for cricket?? I'm far from a baseball fan, but at least people sort of watch it on this continent. Odd.

There are a ton of South Asians in GTA who will flock to the stadium whenever a game is played there. That alone will make it a profitable stadium.

[nik-]

that seems way too high of a capacity and obviously the price tag is absurd.

[SebC]

Interesting. What about the other nine stadiums that would be needed for a 10-team Canadian league? (Particularly interesting since I assume Calgary would be a part of this.)

[Matty81]

That's kind of cool, you really wonder where that financing is coming from though. I wonder about the business plan, a small cricket stadium I could see but 700 mil... wow. I agree that the South Asian and Carribean populations in the GTA are huge and it could work though.

I don't know much about cricket but I feel happy for any of the smaller sports in Canada when they are able to make a splash.... constantly fighting against the kind of small minds who think any sport that's not a North American big 4 sucks. They are usually the kinds of guys who feel the need to broadcast their disdain to anyone who will listen too.

[vennegoor of hesselink]

That's just not cricket.


Maybe the Argos can play there as well?

[SebC]

I wonder if they would also play Aussie Football, since it was designed to share the same field.

[Matty81]

Looks like some of the organizers have a bit of a checkered past:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/canada/c...ry/759863.html

[Read Only]

The President of the T20 league was on PTS this week and the business plan sounded like a whole lot of garbage.

They have an agreement from a company to give them a 700 million dollar mortgage, but as of now have zero dollars to put down, no real solid plan on how they were generating the money to pay off the 700 million dollar mortgage, he seemed to imply they were going to rely heavily on TV viewers but the numbers he quoted seemed pretty ridiculous and based a lot on people in India wanting to watch this league play and the TV numbers those Indian teams got. He also talked about how they could get concerts, trade shows, indoor hockey game in there but since it had to be natural grass he did kind of admit it might not be that simple but really just avoided that.

It seems like a pie in the sky plan that they are announcing like it is a sure thing perhaps in hopes that will draw in investors.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by SebC

Interesting. What about the other nine stadiums that would be needed for a 10-team Canadian league? (Particularly interesting since I assume Calgary would be a part of this.)

If this ever takes off then the tournament will likely be held in one stadium (likely around GTA). The below article says 8 domestic players per team and 3 international players per team. The teams will likely have generic names.

8 domestic players per team is waaay too much though. Not much Canadian talent at all right now. I get they're trying to develop Canadian talent but that will hurt the tournament initially. They should look at 6 domestic/5 Internationals then if it takes off then add more domestic players.

Originally Posted by Matty81

Looks like some of the organizers have a bit of a checkered past:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/canada/c...ry/759863.html

Sounds shady but looks like all is known about him now.

I'm sure they can make it a multiple sport stadium. Cricket/Argos/Aussie Football.

The Brits/Aussies/South Asians/Caribbean would fill up the stadium for cricket imo.

[transplant99]

My guess is that this thing never even sees a shovel hit the dirt.

[troutman]

Used to live right by Riley Park. Who knew they play from sunrise to sunset, from May until September, screaming wildly after every pitch?

[Ozy_Flame]

Cricket appears to be growing in popularity in Canada. It's just that most non-immigrants don't pay attention to it.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Even my English friends hate cricket. I just can't see how that can possibly work even with Toronto's immigrant population

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Even my English friends hate cricket. I just can't see how that can possibly work even with Toronto's immigrant population

English don't care for cricket cause all England do is lose all the time despite poaching talent from other countries.

[Sylvanfan]

Unless they plan to also usethis as a hospital, school, and green electricity generation plant no way they can generate enough revenue to justify that type of capital expense.