The Vancouver Whitecaps are hunting for a new home — and it could be at the PNE. Read More
The MLS soccer club’s lease at B.C. Place is up for renewal in 2025
The MLS soccer club’s lease at B.C. Place is up for renewal in 2025
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The Vancouver Whitecaps are hunting for a new home — and it could be at the PNE.
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The MLS soccer club is in talks with the City of Vancouver about the construction of a stadium at the PNE fairgrounds site, said Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster.
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“The club’s ownership has always been clear on their goal of constructing a purpose-built stadium and the importance of a suitable venue to both fan experience and financial performance for any professional sports franchise,” said Schuster in a statement on Friday.
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The talks are in the early stages and Schuster did not disclose any other details, but said the club is looking forward to continuing its “constructive engagement” with the city.
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Sunrise
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The Whitecaps lease B.C. Place and their training facility at the University of B.C. Their lease at the downtown stadium is up for renewal in 2025.
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The club shares the stadium with the B.C. Lions — the venue’s anchor tenant — and various events and concerts.
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Recent scheduling conflicts including being punted out of the stadium because it was booked for the 2024 World Supercross Championships last year.
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B.C. Place, which is owned by Crown corporation PavCo, also isn’t built for soccer. The Whitecaps is one of eight teams in the MLS that doesn’t have a soccer-specific stadium.
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A new stadium could also be appealing for potential buyers of the club, which was put up for sale last year by owners Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Nash. They have retained Goldman Sachs to find a buyer for the club, which Forbes recently valued at $420 million.
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The Whitecaps — which had its 50th anniversary last year — was purchased by Kerfoot in 2002 before the current ownership group was assembled in 2008.
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About a decade ago, Kerfoot had pitched a vision to build a 15,000-seat multipurpose stadium on the city’s downtown waterfront at the edge of Gastown. But the dream never materialized.
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Trevor Ford, Mayor Ken Sim’s chief of staff, confirmed that the city has had discussions with the Whitecaps. The discussions started “very recently,” he said.
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“We heard they are looking for a new stadium as part of the plans to keep the team here,” said Ford.
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The city has been in touch with the club, he said, and is waiting to hear more about potential plans on the team’s future in Vancouver.
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With files from Postmedia
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