B.C. Place to get new retractable roof... after the Olympics. Rising costs and lack of work crews cited as reasons for delay. by Jeff Lee Vancouver Sun Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008
The crown corporation that oversees B.C. Place will announce tomorrow that it will replace the iconic teflon dome with a retractable roof after the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Two weeks ago, The Vancouver Sun broke the story that David Podmore, the chairman of PavCo, which operates B.C. Place, had advised the provincial cabinet that he wants to install a new retractable roof.
However, pushing ahead with the replacement in time for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Games was considered too costly and complicated, and Podmore decided to do the work after the Olympics.
The major reason, he told cabinet, was that firms that could install the retractable roof are already busy with other work and the cost of structural steel has risen by upwards of 40 per cent since last year.
By delaying the new roof until after the Olympics, PavCo - which is already under fire for the inflated $883-million cost of the new waterfront exhibition and convention centre - would supposedly be able to better control costs.
Since that cabinet briefing, PavCo officials have declined to comment and Tourism Minister Stan Hagen, who personally favors a retractable roof, would only say an announcement would be made "soon".
George Chayka, vice-president of business for the B.C. Lions, confirmed that he's been asked to be at a press conference tomorrow (FRIDAY) at B.C. Place. But he would not discuss the topic of the meeting.
Podmore did not respond to calls for comment as of Thursday afternoon.
jefflee@png.canwest.com
Will BC Place Stadium get a Retractable roof? Just wondering what you Media people have heard as you have a close ear to what's going on in Victoria.
I was at PlayDome tonight and looked up at the Stadium roof and almost got sick. That roof looks deplorable. It's worse than atrocious.
It's water stained, full of soot, and looks like total garbage. I'm ashamed that that could be the roof we show off to the world in the Opening Ceremonies in 2010 with 3 billion people watching.
The other issue is the Olympic flame. How will they vent the fumes and smoke from that Olympic flame? Don't tell me they're going to burn that flame inside an airtight dome? Is this Government totally crazy?
my personal hope is that it is a retractable roof. as for the flame...it should be in a 'tower' structure as it has been in the past, but i would also like to see the flame lit as a 'ring' around the entire building as well.
"Is this government totally crazy"....why so vanboy? Because they don't start a big project like this without first doing their due diligence? Or would you suggest they just fly at it and be damned if its finished on time, or not, or even close to the projected budget. I suppose if its not completed by Feb 12/10 they could always have the opening ceremonies at Swangard Stadium....or not.
The retractable roof option is slowly closing due to time restraints, some are still hopeful that it could be done before the opening ceremonies, but I am having my doubts. Also, the chance of major cost overruns on hurried projects is almost a given, especially in this tight labour market, is the public ready for a $50 - $100 million overrun on a new roof? Even if they decide they can't go with the retractable roof, you can rest assured there will be new fabric installed to replace the 25 year old one currently in place. The lighting of the flame and the flames position is highly secretive, but you can bet it won't be burning throughout the Olympics inside the stadium.
my personal hope is that it is a retractable roof. as for the flame...it should be in a 'tower' structure as it has been in the past, but i would also like to see the flame lit as a 'ring' around the entire building as well.
Great idea. The entire outside of the stadium as a burning cauldron. Not bad.
If the roof isn't done now, it will never get done.
Where did I say they shouldn't due their due diligence? Mabey if they would've thought of this earlier they would have given themselves enough time to put on a proper roof?
Of course they have to do a study and get quotes and prices and estimates, and in fact an engineering feasibility study was done... they've already gotten quotes in from the roof's manufacturer Birdair and Unisystems.
But why have they left it this late?
Pavco applied to the City to sell off some land around the Stadium but I think it's just a smokescreen. If they just spend $ 20 million on a lousy replacement bubble, it won't show much commitment and I'd say the Stadium will be imploded within 10 years.
BC Place wouldn't need concrete piles for a replacement of the current bubble but would need concrete towers to support Arches to support a Retractable system.
And YES The Edge Daily stands by this story absolutely. Cepco is talking to the contractors, not to Pavco directly.
28-02-2008: Cepco in talks on Winter Olympic indoor stadium by Yantoultra Ngui Yichen Email us your feedback at fd@bizedge.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Concrete Engineering Products Bhd (Cepco) is in talks with Canada on the development of the indoor stadium for the Winter Olympic 2010 in Vancouver, said its managing director Nelson Leong.
“It is still in the enquiring stage though, like how much it is to produce the piles, and how much it is to ship to Vancouver,” he told reporters after Cepco’s AGM here yesterday.
On the value of the contract, he said it would only be confirmed by the end of this month, adding that it would make the necessary announcement when the deal was finalised.
The pre-stressed spun concrete piles and poles manufacturer was currently focusing on the export market such as the Middle East especially Iran, said Leong.
Currently, its revenue contribution from exports was 15% and it expected export sales to increase in tandem with its overseas expansion plan, he added.
Leong said Cepco had an outstanding order book of RM80 million, which would keep the company busy until the end of this fiscal year ending Aug 31, 2008 (FY0.
On the local front, Leong said Cepco was confident of securing a RM150 million contract from UEM Builders Bhd to supply marine piles for the second Penang bridge project.
“Our marine piles were successfully tested for the second Penang bridge in July last year,” he said.
He added that three points along the site of the bridge were tested with its 1,000mm diameter marine piles and they all passed the respective tests.
Apart from the bridge project, Leong said Cepco was also bidding for contracts in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) projects such as the electric double-tracking rail project.
There are only two players in the spun concrete pile industry locally, with its only competitor being Industrial Concrete Product Bhd (ICP).
Cepco has four plants located in Sungai Petani, Pasir Gudang, Rawang and Nilai, with an annual production capacity of 830,000 tonnes in total.
For its first quarter ended Nov 30, 2007, Cepco’s net profit surged 227.5% to RM1.41 million from RM433,000 a year earlier on the back of improved demand and delivery of its products.
Well what did the Premier say today at the Auto Show about the Roof design other than putting out John Les fires? He was supposed to make some presentation today on the new Roof design. Wonder why that got scuttled. I guess he's got his hands full with John Les. Gotta put priorities first, right Gordo?
Apparently now the City has some reservations about the Retractable design as it will allow noise from events to bother the residents in the area. Hell the Stadium was there before the towers, give the BC Lions a break.
Don't ya think we should get rid of this Mayor? He shows no leadership; he'll probably kill that Stadium. Is the Mayor election in November?
While no official announcement has come out, it will be a newer version of the inflatable roof now in place, or so it has been reported by some within city hall. This info was taken from the cities website.
The proposed rehabilitation work will include the replacement of the roof with an improved air-supported roof, as well as other up-grades to the building prior to the Olympics.Following the Olympics, there will be further work including improving the environmental performance of the building and addressing staging and operational issues.
Perhaps rushing head first into a retrofit that might not be finished by Feb.12 2010 might be a bigger mistake. Word is that there have been engineers crawling all over the place for the last few weeks, no doubt important first steps.
Yes and some engineers from Germany, possibly from Koch Hightex, are walking around with Tripods doing sighting and survey measurements...
would the presence of Surveyors from Germany indicate a structure will be built outside the stadium such as a tower such as the Incline Tower outside Olympic Stadium?
If they were just doing a simple bubble replacement, why would they need Surveyors?
Re Olympic Stadium, is that roof still Retractable or is it just a Fixed roof held up by cables?
Forgive me if this sounds ignorant, I'm not from BC. Would it be out of the question to simply remove the roof for the Olympics. That would have aesthetic benefits for the television audience.
Well they already told NBC and TSN that the ceremonies will be an indoor event so I suspect they're planning for Indoor conditions however I suppose they could change this.
Now that's an interesting idea. Leave the stadium uncovered for the Olympics and put on a roof after. That way the Olympic Flame can burn inside the Stadium as there's no dome over it.
All Trade Shows and Conventions slated for the Stadium next year would be moved into the new Convention Center as that should be ready by then.
One thing I'd like to know is how much money they expect to make by selling off parcels of land around the Stadium...
Having no roof for the Olympics is not an option, the chance of rain, heavy, wind blown sideways, mixed with snow, type rain, is a good possibility for that time of the year in Vancouver and a scenario that could ruin the opening ceremonies.
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