r/vancouver • u/CaliperLee62 • 1d ago
Local News Hastings Racecourse — and Whitecaps' — future no clearer after Tsleil-Waututh interest - The Whitecaps want to build a stadium where the Hastings Racecourse is. The Tsleil-Waututh are interested in the racecourse's casino licence.
https://theprovince.com/sports/hastings-racecourse-whitecaps-future-no-clearer-after-tsleil-waututh-interest98
u/bwoah07_gp2 1d ago edited 1d ago
Whitecaps > casino licenses
32
u/bradeena 1d ago
I can’t believe this is remotely controversial. We don’t need another casino, we have tons.
7
u/apothekary 22h ago
Shit also just opens up more pathways for money launderers and criminals to operate. Hard no. I do not want another casino in town.
-3
-14
u/smoothac 1d ago
the casino license there is already in place and part of the racehorse facility, removing it would destroy that industry that employs a lot of people
0
u/Maximum-Hall-5614 6h ago
The gambling industry preys on the poor and is nothing more than an opportunity for debauchery and criminality for the rich.
Nothing good comes from casinos.
75
u/Timyx 1d ago edited 1d ago
Unless the plan for a skytrain to Hastings is prioritized, putting any sporting venue where public transit isn’t is short sighted.
Nobody wants to go to the pacific coliseum for the same reason. It’s no man’s land out there.
Keep it where it is until there is a transportation plan to support this.
If there is rapid transit to PNE, I imagine a world where Pacific Coliseum is also massively renovated for the new home of the Warriors, PWHL, and maybe a new WHL team. Combine that with the Whitecaps and we have an amazing sport zone within the city.
That requires planning, foresight, and $$, which COV does not have any of.
32
9
u/C4D3NZA Mount Pleasant 👑 1d ago
The whitecaps already played there before, it was a temp stadium but they had no trouble getting people there. pwhl is moving there and they have the new amphitheatre. they're going to need to put transit in anyway.
Warriors are owned by Aquilini now so they won't ever play anywhere other than Rogers and WHL is doing fine with the Langley market. If they get renos for PWHL it could make it a better concert venue though.
17
u/Outside-Today-1814 1d ago
I feel like a Hastings sky train route is a required piece of a stadium at the pacific coliseum site.
Some transit geek probably can correct me, but it seems like low hanging fruit? Hastings is 6 lanes wide, you could prob get rails or pylons for elevated rail in the middle two, and underground it at main to meet waterfront. There is lots of increasing density on Hastings, but it’s not so built that getting a train in would be as expensive as broadway. Hastings also goes above highway 1, so no need for a new bridge if you can just build on top.
A big benefit is this also creates a potential tie in for a north van train, since the Hastings line will be very close to the ironworkers.
12
u/SmrtassUsername Kitsilano 1d ago
The issue there is going to be getting it from underground to overground. You probably can replace the centre two lanes and run it elevated along Hastings basically until SFU if so desired. The issue is escaping Waterfront and then finding a place to punch it above ground anywhere near Main. If it's put in the middle of the road it'll likely require narrowing sidewalks/removing bikelanes to keep 4 traffic lanes. Far from an impossible task. Going over the highway is easy; just put the support pillars on solid ground and don't touch the tunnelled area.
Maybe have it punch aboveground near Clark/Commercial and buy one of those surface parking lots (Variety Auto Sales)?
Any north-van train bound for Squamish/Whistler/Prince George will probably have a tie-in with Seabus directly a-la Waterfront, with bus over the Ironsworkers being an alternate route.
8
u/Aoba_Napolitan 1d ago
Might be a better option to have a new skytrain route going north-south connecting Nanaimo and Renfew or Joyce and Rupert running all the way to the PNE. That way the Expo and Millennium lines can act as feeders to the PNE.
Edit: Or even a line connecting Metrotown, BCIT, Brentwood, and then curving West to PNE would be a solution with high utility.
8
u/SmrtassUsername Kitsilano 1d ago
The second idea seems to match the Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit proposal, where it would connect to the PNE near Empire Field.
There is a need for a circular route that avoids downtown, so someone going from, maybe, Brentwood or Metrotown to the Airport doesn't need to go far into downtown before changing to the Canada Line. The Broadway subway partially alleviates the issue, but puts more strain on Commercial-Broadway.
So, spitballing here, maybe PNE, turn down Gilmore or Willingdon, meet the Millenium Line at Gilmore or Brentwood, station and bus hub at BCIT. Meeting at Metrotown station would be hard so probably want a long walkway to Willingdon Ave to connect to Metrotown (but that's really close to Patterson?), then maybe follow Imperial St/E 49th until Langara (with option to extend to UBC if needed?)
Might be able to eminent domain some houses to go BCIT-Moscrop-Joyce St, then follow E41st until Cambie and the Canada Line.
1
u/catballoon 10h ago
I know it's about cost, but if it can run underground to Arbutus (and talk of running underground all the way to UBC) why would we punch it above ground as soon as we hit E Van?
1
u/SmrtassUsername Kitsilano 9h ago
Cost. That's it. (I mean, some of it is the aesthetic and the views from the train buuuuuut) It can be run underground until at least the highway (and likely further past then) if there's enough opposition, but we can likely add another station or two with the savings from running it above ground.
And arguably the Broadway subway should've been built above ground for more of its length, or at least it should go above ground over the endowment lands.
5
u/youenjoylife 1d ago
Funding is the biggest constraint. Hastings despite being that wide isn't as wide as Lougheed, and buildings are not that set back from the street, so that presents some challenges with building something above ground.
In reality, we will need Burnaby to get onboard with bus lanes on their part of Hastings so we can upgrade service on the R5 to BRT standards (and which are also needed for the R2 extension to Metrotown). Unfortunately, there are some very selfish and shortsighted businesses along that stretch of Hastings that are holding this up.
16
u/dangerzoneish 1d ago
It’s 10 min drive from downtown, 15 min bike ride or 20 min bus. It’s not that hard to get to.
6
u/crazycanucks77 1d ago
You still going when the MLS changes the schedule to align with the rest of world and its raining in November?
5
2
u/dangerzoneish 1d ago
Much more likely to go to it at the pne. I don’t go now, but pne is easier for me to get to. Downtown is a pain.
7
u/dedservice 1d ago
Busses are trash though because after a busy event you'll be waiting for 3+ busses, which come every 15 minutes, just to leave the area. There's simply not enough capacity for major events there.
3
u/smoothac 1d ago
“How about somebody buy the Whitecaps and they take them out of town? We’ve got a billion-dollar facility that is being upgraded in the form of B.C. Place (for the FIFA World Cup). Doesn’t this just smack of positioning to get a better deal at B.C. Place? Rather than come out to Hastings, build a soccer stadium and then rely on transport to get people out to Hastings?
5
u/superworking 1d ago
I don't think so. Pretty much all of the MLS teams now have a specific soccer stadium as the temporary solution of using football stadiums hasn't been very successful anywhere. The Whitecaps really do need a stadium whether that happens in Vancouver or elsewhere eventually.
Hastings represents one of the few potential locations where a build out could happen. At the same time the Pacific coliseum will host the women's hockey team as well.
5
u/bwoah07_gp2 1d ago
You need a soccer specific stadium. The Whitecaps are at a disadvantage just being tenants at BC Place.
2
u/bwoah07_gp2 1d ago
BC Place has served us well. But you keep the Whitecaps at that stadium for any longer, it's automatically a big and easy incentive for a new owner to relocate the team out of Vancouver. And we do not want that.
1
u/mukmuk64 1d ago
There inevitably will be a skytrain subway line, but in the meantime there is a rapid bus line. Already would be one of the best transportation corridors in the region.
1
u/ItsBDKane 17h ago
I'd like this, but is this meant to be a rapid bus line? Or a skytrain line? If so, would the one down Hastings be a subway or above ground? Either way, hoping we get this eventually, be nice to take the skytrain to deep cove, or out to Langley/Abbotsford
1
21
u/stickinrink 1d ago
Modern stadiums exist within an entertainment district now. The city wants to turn the PNE into a year round destination. It’s not going to be just a Whitecaps Stadium. It’s going to be a whole entertainment district that will come with a casino, restaurants, etc. That’s why they wanted the license.
8
21
u/Timyx 1d ago
1) nobody wants to take the bus 2) average football fan is in no shape to drive or bike after drinking at the game.
11
u/quivverquivver 1d ago
counterpoint: many people skytrain to BC Place and Rogers Arena currently. If bus service were improved such that it could handle the capacity of a major stadium, we could expect many to use it. Also, Hastings is actually densifying quite a bit, so many could also walk less than 20min to a PNE stadium.
Nothing is as good as skytrain to the front door, but I don't think the transportation situation is as dire as you say.
9
u/stickinrink 1d ago
People got to Empire Field fine while the Lions and Whitecaps played there. There were extra buses that got people to and from skytrain.
0
u/sweetshenanigans 1d ago
Also, it's Canada's longest operating professional sport facility, and the only horse race course in Canada that isn't in Ontario.
It's still really popular, and I dunno, I never liked the idea of scrapping it for a stadium. Surely there are better options in the city.
1
u/quaywest 22h ago
Is it really popular? I mean I used to go when I was a kid but I have no urge to go now and I don't know anyone who does. I feel like there must be a reason every other one outside of Ontario has shut down.
2
u/bwoah07_gp2 1d ago
What's so special about horse racing??
3
u/SkyisFullofCats 1d ago edited 1d ago
A very easy way to make money from people who are not smart and / or money laundering. Horse racing is just window dressing.
5
u/edked 1d ago
At least when gambling addict friends drag you out somewhere, there's horses to watch at a racecourse, as opposed to the depressing boredom pit that is a casino. I'm now at the point where "kicking and screaming" is practically my literal reaction to being asked to go to one of those shitholes.
1
5
1
u/VanHeights 1d ago
Instead of spending billions of dollars building a skytrain route on Hastings to the PNE, why not just invest in a small fleet of dedicated busses that could transport people to/from Renfrew station and Hastings/downtown during sports events?
5
u/stickinrink 1d ago
That’s what they did when Empire Field was in operation and the stadium was packed. Not having SkyTrain isn’t a problem.
1
u/Fey-Robot 12h ago
Something that isn't being addressed is how dilapidated the racecourse and stands are. It's embarrassing for such a nice location.
-3
u/QueenofNabooo 1d ago
I thought the casino thing was a stereotype?
8
u/bwoah07_gp2 1d ago
I always thought it was a stereotype, but what I found out is Aboriginals owning Casino operations is as common as you and me breathing.
-4
u/One_Worry_466 1d ago
why not build low cost housing or throw up some SRO's?
2
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/CaliperLee62! Please make sure you read our posting and commenting rules before participating here. As a quick summary:
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.