Impact polishes its 'petit bijou'
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Built for $15 million and ahead of schedule, Saputo Stadium will be ready to welcome its first soccer fans next season
RANDY PHILLIPS, The Gazette
Published: Saturday, November 17
As Richard Legendre looked over the expanse of the grass field, covered with protective fabric for the winter, to the south grandstands with a massive black-and-white Impact logo splashed amid a sea of blue seats, he best described the new home of the city's professional soccer franchise.
"I believe we have 'un petit bijou' in our hands," said Legendre, executive vice-president of the Montreal Impact and Saputo Stadium.
"It's amazing when you look at it, and people are going to discover it for themselves when they see it."
Construction of the $15-million soccer-specific facility and its centrepiece 13,000-seat stadium at Olympic Park, is more than 90-per-cent complete. Delivery from Montreal-based Broccolini Construction Inc. is expected before the end of next month.
Club officials plan to move from their administrative offices on Langelier Blvd., in early February. The team will begin its 15th season in the United Soccer Leagues First Division in its new digs in mid-May, leaving behind Claude Robillard Stadium, a home field leased from the city since the franchise's inaugural season in 1993.
The new facility is a marvel of design and construction. Ground was broken on April 11, and all that's left to be finished are the club's offices, skyboxes, dressing rooms and concessions.
Construction of the first part of a multiphase project - with a practice field and indoor soccer facility to come - was ahead of schedule throughout and will come in on budget.
Located in the northeast corner of Olympic Park, bordered by Sherbrooke and Viau Sts., optimum use has been made of a portion of land many hardly knew existed.
"Six months ago, if you talked to me about this space - and you know I'm kind of familiar with sports - I would have said: 'Where is it exactly?' " said Legendre, 54, a former Quebec minister of sports in Bernard Landry's cabinet after winning the Blainville riding for the Parti Québécois in 2001, and a former professional tennis player who represented Canada in Davis Cup play.
"Many people actually have asked me where it is, and when I say 'corner of
Viau and Sherbrooke,' they just don't visualize it," Legendre said. "We tell people it's 90-per-cent ready, but still some ask if we've even started construction, because when you go along Sherbrooke you barely see it.
"But it's as if this place was waiting for a stadium to be built because it fits so well in the environment," he added. "The integration with Olympic Stadium and the rest of the park is beautiful. As an outdoor facility, it's another dimension to Olympic Park."
Grandstands surround the field on three sides, with the west end open, which is where the "public plaza" main entrance is backdropped by the Olympic Stadium tower. The north grandstands, which include the concrete seating used for the 1976 Olympics, are topped by 16 of 25 skyboxes. All 16 of those boxes were sold out months ago.
Seating for Impact games is pegged at 13,000, but space is available at the west end for an additional 5,000 seats if there's need.
he gem in the jewel Legendre spoke about is the natural grass field. The sod was laid two months ago and is under the care of Roch Poulin, superintendent at the St. Raphael Golf Club in Île Bizard, which is also owned by the Saputo Group.
"The field is like a golf course and is a little bigger than Claude Robillard, 110 metres by 70 metres," Legendre said. "The players really are happy about that. The big differences for fans is the proximity to the field. On the south side, it's 15 feet from the touch line. On the north side, because of the player dugouts, it's 20 feet. At Claude Robillard, it was 80 feet."
You won't find a bad seat in the house and it has great accessibility, with two métro stops nearby.
There is also sufficient indoor and outdoor parking. As a result, team officials are confident fans will come.
The club kicked off its season-ticket campaign this week with packages - which include 12 home games and two playoff games - priced at $200 (Bronze), $300 (Silver), $400 (Gold), and $700 (Prestige), taxes included. The Bronze price is $50 cheaper than what it cost at Claude Robillard Stadium, while Silver and Gold Prestige packages include parking.
"Unlike Claude Robillard, all seats here are reserved seating, so people won't have to come more than an hour before the game to stake out their seats," Legendre said.
The club has a target of selling 4,000 season tickets, or approximately double the number sold at Claude Robillard. The ultimate goal, however, is to go well beyond 4,000.
The franchise is operated on a non-profit basis, with the provincial government, Hydro-Québec and Saputo in partnership as co-owners. The new facility will be managed by a non-profit organization, but it will seek to maximize potential for revenue as it operates under a 40-year emphyteutic (full use of all benefits) lease signed with the Olympic Installations Board last March.
The cost of the facility has been footed by the Saputo family, with a $7.5-million donation from patriarch Lino
Saputo, and the other half secured through a bank loan, guaranteed by Saputo.
To maximize potential revenue, Legendre expects - in addition to Impact games and other soccer projects, such as international friendly matches - the stadium could also be the site for shows and concerts.
"Priority No. 1 is the Impact and soccer, but the more we can do, the better," Legendre said. "We think we have a great facility to do other things. The challenge is our grass, covering it and protecting it, but we've already been in discussions with promoters. If we cover the grass with additional seating, our capacity rises to more than 20,000.
"This, for $15 million, is an unbelievable accomplishment. For a 13,000-seat facility, it is great value. The money spent was spent well. There's no fluff. But we do have to generate revenue from other sources, with other partners and other events."
The Impact averaged more than 11,000 fans for the third consecutive season this year and led the league in attendance for the third straight year. The club is hoping to see at least the same level of support at Saputo Stadium, where the emphasis will be on making games "a happening," with activities before and after the games.
"People will get more than just a game. And as far as getting here, they won't need a GPS," Legendre said as he pointed to the Olympic Stadium's tower. "All they have to do is look up."
rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2007