The Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium was a proposed open-air soccer facility in Vancouver, British Columbia that would have been privately funded and developed by the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The proposed location was north of Gastown on the central waterfront on what was then a parking lot and the site of a helicopter landing pad. The proposed stadium would have housed the Vancouver Whitecaps FC men and women's clubs.ProposalThe $70-million stadium would have had an initial capacity of 20,000, which would be potentially expandable to 30,000 seats.In addition to Vancouver Whitecaps FC matches, the stadium was intended host international soccer matches, rugby union matches and tournaments, tennis and beach volleyball tournaments, and open-air musical events and concerts such as the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The stadium would have had close access to many modes of public transportation, including SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express, and buses.ControversyAlthough Vancouver public support for the stadium was high, the proposal drew protests from several groups including the Gastown Neighbourhood Coalition. Local architects Arthur Erickson and Bing Thom also urged caution, saying that piecemeal development of some of Vancouver's last undeveloped waterfront should be avoided. They argued that the stadium would deny waterfront access and would negatively affect the historical theme of the Gastown area. The architects urged city hall to delay approval until a comprehensive plan had been submitted. Independent architecture firm Hotson Bakker, which was hired by the city of Vancouver, concluded that the stadium plans as proposed were unworkable. They reported that the development did not fit with the Gastown district and did not take future residential developments into account. They also stressed the need for a comprehensive waterfront plan.
