TORONTO (CP) -- It's a new outdoor stadium with terrific sightlines that gives fans a cozy atmosphere to enjoy professional and world class soccer. But the Toronto Argonauts will face no shortage of challenges to reap the benefits of playing at BMO Field.

The Argos are investigating the merits of a possible move from Rogers Centre to BMO Field, the stadium overlooking Lake Ontario that is home to Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. Co-owner Howard Sokolowski has reportedly met with the City of Toronto -- which owns the facility -- and the CFL club's accountants have apparently started crunching numbers.

That was all news to Joe Pantalone. But Toronto's deputy mayor said when civic officials gave their blessing to BMO Field's construction, they also left the door open for the Argos to one day become a tenant.

"We have not received any formal proposals to move in and also (to cover) the significant expenses," said Pantalone. "A special tenant, in this case the Argos or anybody else for that matter, would have to pay for that.

"When city council gave its approval for BMO Field, the possibility that the Argos could play there was anticipated and looked upon favourably."

BMO Field was built at a cost of $62.9-million and opened in April. It was one of venues used this summer during the FIFA U-20 World Cup of soccer.

While BMO Field is owned by the city, it's managed by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, which also operates the expansion Toronto FC. The seating capacity is 20,500.

"We've discussed with the Argos the potential of coming down here," said Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of venues and entertainment for MLSE. "But everything is very preliminary right now."

An Argos spokesman said Wednesday neither Sokolowski or co-owner David Cynamon would discuss their interest in BMO Field. Neither immediately returned telephone messages.

However, Hunter said any move by the Argos is at least two years away because any stadium renovations likely wouldn't start until the fall. In a best-case scenario, he added that would mean construction beginning in the fall of 2008 and likely take anywhere from eight-to-12 months to complete.

"That's simply speculation based on where the discussions are as we sit here today," Hunter said.

The Argos' biggest challenge would appear to be money.

Estimations are that renovating BMO Field to accommodate a CFL playing surface (65 yards long, 150 yards long to include two 20-yard end zones) would run anywhere between $10 to $20 million. Hunter said the current centre line on the field wouldn't change, meaning seats at both ends of the stadium would have to be removed to accommodate the football surface.

The problem is that seats at the south end are built on permanent foundations and would be difficult -- and very expensive -- to remove. And seats taken out to accommodate the football field would have to be added elsewhere over and above the additional seats the Argos would require, given their average attendance this year is 31,000 per game.

And while the Argos would have to foot the bill for any renovations, they'd also have to make sure any re-configurations wouldn't take away from the positive soccer experience fans currently enjoy at BMO Field.

"The reality is construction-wise it's not complicated," Hunter said. "But it certainly does change the configurations and one of our big issues is ensuring we retain that great soccer experience."<.

This isn't the first time Sokolowski and Cynamon have looked at an outdoor stadium. The two were both involved in projects at the University of Toronto and York University but each time those plans fell through.

The big question surrounding their current interest in BMO Field is why?

Currently, the Argos play at Rogers Centre, the domed stadium that has a seating capacity of just over 53,000 for football. The CFL club is reportedly in the second year of a sweetheart 15-year lease agreement where they pay little to no rent but contains clauses that allows them the option of opting out.

The Argos would have to pay rent at BMO Field that could be as high as $1 million annually. The CFL club would also play second fiddle to Toronto FC as well as the Canadian Soccer Association in terms of scheduling dates.

But Rogers Centre wouldn't necessarily shed a tear if the Argos left. A source requesting anonymity said if the CFL club bolted, Rogers Communications, which owns the facility, would take out Windows Restaurant, located in the northwest corner, and increase the overall seating capacity to about 56,000 to further enhance its bid to bring an NFL team to Toronto.

The NFL's smallest stadium is the RCA Dome, the home of the Super Bowl-champion Indianapolis Colts which holds 57,900 spectators. But the Colts were 26th in the NFL last year in revenue generated despite having quarterback Peyton Manning, one of the league's most marketable and popular players.

By comparison, the Buffalo Bills, who are in one of the NFL's smaller markets, play in the 74,000-seat Ralph Wilson Stadium, the league's sixth-largest facility. The biggest one is Giants Stadium, which seats 80,200.




Printer friendly