The construction of a new fixed roof for the Montreal Olympic Stadium is only a prelude to the announcement of other work worth several hundred million additional dollars.
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Did you think you were done paying? That after the roof, the government would finally stop pouring astronomical sums into the Olympic Stadium? Make no mistake, warn several experts consulted.
“We are adding a new roof to a building that will soon be 50 years old. It is almost certain that other work will have to follow,” says professor of the civil engineering department of Polytechnique Montréal Bruno Massicotte.
“After installing the roof and paying for user cost overruns, I would not be surprised if it would be necessary to add between $200 million and $300 million in work, if only to keep the concrete structure in place. good health and make the whole thing more attractive.
Professor of civil engineering, Bruno Massicotte.
Archive photo
Some promises
At a press conference on February 5, Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx explained that the current canvas, in poor condition, urgently needed to be replaced to preserve the integrity of the stadium. Projected cost: $870 million.
The construction of a new roof – the third since 1987 – would also make it possible to exploit the full potential of the site, allowing it to carve out a place for itself in the circuit of major international concerts, in that of trade fairs and – perhaps also – in that of professional sport.
“Personally, I don’t believe it at all,” says the professor of sports economics at ESG UQAM, Philip Merrigan. The stadium will certainly be able to host one-off events, but not professional teams on a regular basis, as before. Unfortunately, from an athlete’s point of view, I think there is nothing more to expect from the stadium.
The interior of the Olympic Stadium will need major renovations.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM
Confirmation of upcoming work
Michel Labrecque, outgoing CEO of the Olympic Park (formerly the Olympic Installations Authority), was no longer granting interviews on the subject this week.
However, speaking to QUB Radio on the day of the announcement, he admitted that work would have to follow that of the roof. “The acoustics […] it’s at the top of the list,” he replied, without elaborating on the costs.
In addition to the known problems with the stadium’s sound system, which a new fixed roof promises to amplify, the state company will also have to quickly focus on overhauling the lighting system, raising its corporate boxes, replacing seats, and its ventilation system.
The list is long, admits Professor Merrigan. Even the toilet blocks would need to be redone, we are told, before thinking of attracting Taylor Swifts and other big names in entertainment and sport.
How many more millions?
It is difficult to know how much will have to be invested in this way, in addition to the roof and the $50 million that the Park already spends, year in and year out, just to maintain the stadium and fixed assets.
The Park management is reassuring. She says she is responsible for “health infrastructure” and is well aware of the work to come. But when asked about the costs, for example, of the upcoming replacement of the lighting, she answers that she is focusing for the moment on replacing the roof.
In the absence of more information, the Ontario experience could also enlighten us in this regard. The old SkyDome in Toronto, better known as the Rogers Centre, began renovations 18 months ago (see text opposite). Total bill: $300 million for installations that are… only 35 years old.
If the schedule is respected, the Montreal stadium will be 52 years old at the end of the work in 2028. This new roof, we swear, will last 50 years.
“Will the stadium be able to survive for that long? And remain safe until the age of 100? seriously asks Professor Massicotte, also a member of the Structural Engineering Research Group.
As important as they are, these questions remain unanswered. “In principle, the answer is yes. But as with the Champlain Bridge – which had to be replaced prematurely – we are never safe from the appearance of an assembly or structural defect.”
A risk that increases with age, he warns. And which, yes, could still cost us dearly.
– With the collaboration of Anouk Lebel.
$300 million renovations in Toronto
You don’t have to look far to get an idea of what renovating the interior of the Olympic Stadium could cost, once the roof and technical ring have been replaced.
In Toronto, the Rogers Center began major renovations in October 2022 at a cost of $300 million, financed entirely by private investors. The Blue Jays stadium, which had been built as a complex to accommodate several professional teams, will become a baseball-focused facility.
The Rogers Center in Toronto is currently undergoing a $300 million facelift, which gives an idea of the kind of work to be done at the Montreal Olympic Stadium once the new roof is in place.
Photo provided by the Toronto Blue Jays
In the first phase, completed in 2023, all seats in the highest section of the stadium were changed or replaced with family areas and entertainment areas with a view of the pitch. The bullpens were also raised to be closer to the spectators.
The second phase has been underway since last fall; it should end in April. It mainly focuses on behind the scenes and areas reserved for players. The seats closest to the pitch have been replaced with new ones that are wider, provide more legroom and have built-in cup holders.
The Rogers Center in Toronto is currently undergoing a $300 million facelift, which gives an idea of the kind of work to be done at the Montreal Olympic Stadium once the new roof is in place.
Photo provided by the Toronto Blue Jays
• Read also: The $2G figure put forward for the demolition of the Olympic Stadium is based on a 20-year-old study
• Read also: Olympic stadium: here are 10 sites demolished for a fraction of the $2 billion advanced by Quebec
• Read also: Olympic Stadium: the PLQ calls for a break