Hamilton’s storied Ivor Wynne Stadium will rise again as a state-of-the-art sport legacy to Steel Town, the sole host of soccer competitions during the upcoming TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.
The brand new $145.7-million stadium, renamed Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium at Games time, is jointly funded by the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario and the City of Hamilton. It will open in July 2014—a full year before Hamilton hosts all 32 men’s and women’s soccer games during the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.
The overall project costs for this facility are anticipated to come in at $145.7 million. Of the $145.7 million, $119.1 million is the amount to design, build and finance the project. The remainder is comprised of capital expenditures for equipment, transaction fees, project management and other ancillary costs. It is on budget and construction is starting on time.
The new stadium will be built on a 5.45-hectare parcel in Hamilton’s Stipley neighbourhood where the venerable Ivor Wynne Stadium currently stands. The design reimagines the historic site—fittingly, the same ground where Canada held its first major international competition, the British Empire Games in 1930—as a flexible “neighbourhood stadium” that can host professional and amateur sports, cultural happenings and prestigious national and international events.
To maximize flexibility, the stadium’s footprint has shifted 90 degrees to a north-south axis in line with international standards, and a striking sun-lit pedestrian plaza has been added to encourage residents and sports fans to come together to celebrate big games and cultural events.
It also meets the highest standards for accessibility and the most up-to-date technical requirements of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), including all-new FIFA-approved artificial turf.
The modern and airy stadium will have a solid masonry base topped by a white steel exoskeleton with permanent seating for 22,500 spectators and the ability to expand to up to 40,000 seats for major events. It will have fantastic sightlines and first-class amenities, such as 30 club suites, six elevators, bigger seat sizes, updated press and broadcasting facilities, as well as concession stands on all levels.
The current 84-year-old Ivor Wynne Stadium will be demolished in December following the end of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2012 Canadian Football League (CFL) season. Construction is slated to start immediately after the site is cleared.
