The Big O fix: Protecting a monument or a colossal waste of money?

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“You possibly can solely get Taylor Swift in so many occasions to justify a billion {dollars},” mentioned Moshe Lander, a senior lecturer in economics at Concordia.

Printed Feb 05, 2024  •  Final up to date 30 minutes in the past  •  3 minute learn

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The Olympic Stadium ought to be protected as a result of it’s an emblem of the town that’s essential to Montrealers and residential to the Biodôme and different sights, Mayor Valérie Plante argues.

Heritage specialists contend the location has architectural and historic deserves that need to be preserved.

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Sports activities economist Moshe Lander says Montreal’s Huge O is a monumental cash pit that ought to be demolished to make method for social housing.

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“What a waste of cash,” he mentioned in response to information Quebec intends to spend an estimated $870 million to construct a brand new, non-retractable roof to maintain the stadium alive. “We’re speaking about $1 billion to restore the roof as if this was the primary time a price has come up regarding the stadium. It has been costing billions of {dollars} since that factor opened.”

Lander decried concrete slabs falling from the construction (a 55-tonne slab the scale of a metropolis bus fell off in 2012) and the roof caving in (a piece of the roof tore and rained down items together with ice and snow on 200 folks getting ready for an auto present in 1999; 5 folks have been barely injured).

“The actual fact is, there’s nobody in there that’s utilizing the place,” Lander added. “It’s a colossal waste of cash.”

Even as soon as it’s repaired, Lander, a senior lecturer in economics at Concordia College, mentioned there can be few customers for the cavernous 56,000-seat stadium to justify the expense. Main League Baseball isn’t all for coming again. Montreal’s skilled soccer and soccer leagues lack the fan base to fill the area.

“So what’s left? You possibly can solely get Taylor Swift in so many occasions to justify a billion {dollars}. And the fact is, the going fee for a brand new stadium within the Peel Basin (simply south of downtown Montreal) is $1.5 billion,” Lander mentioned. “So take that billion {dollars} and hand it over to the Bronfman household and ask them to complete off the stadium downtown.”

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Plante advised reporters she was completely happy Quebec determined to spend the cash, noting the town had already invested vital funds within the Espace pour la vie sights, together with the Planetarium, and different components.

“It has develop into an essential vacation spot centre,” she mentioned. “Whether or not you say you find it irresistible or hate it, it has develop into an emblem of Montreal.”

At a world assembly organized by Heritage Montreal in 2016, the Olympic Stadium made an incredible impression on specialists from Finland, Germany and Japan, regardless that it doesn’t have a heritage designation as many Olympic websites do in different cities, mentioned Heritage Montreal coverage director Dinu Bumbaru. He famous there’s a push underway to appoint the Munich Olympiapark and Tokyo’s 1964 Olympic amenities to the world checklist of UNESCO world heritage websites.

“Over the previous years, the Olympic Stadium, and extra broadly talking the Olympic Park, have been acknowledged as a landmark in numerous planning paperwork, such because the metropolitan growth plan,” Bumbaru mentioned.

Heritage Montreal is anxious, nevertheless, concerning the lack of documentation proving the necessity to restore the technical ring, saying proof is important for “such a huge improve.”

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“Regardless of the massive numbers, repairs appear nonetheless by much more economical than demolition,” Bumbaru mentioned.

Lander agreed with Plante that the Olympic Stadium has develop into an emblem of Montreal, however he mentioned it’s for all of the fallacious causes.

“For her to say it’s the image of all that’s Montreal — yeah, it’s, however sadly it’s the stereotype image (of) corruption, price overruns, delays, and of cultural safety that comes on the expense of financial effectivity.”

Lander argues that the choice to construct a brand new roof relies on political causes slightly than financial ones.

“That is purely being pushed by a authorities that picks symbols as a method of attempting to outline what Quebec is,” he mentioned. “So whether or not it’s choosing fights with the English universities, whether or not it’s choosing fights over language or spiritual symbols, that is one a part of their platform the place they’re simply attempting to defend the indefensible, all within the identify of attempting to guard Quebec’s identification, Quebec’s tradition.”

rbruemmer@postmedia.com

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