The Halifax Wanderers are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to having a permanent soccer stadium in the city.
The owner of the football club, Derek Martin, has brought forward a proposal to Halifax Regional Council to build a stadium on municipal land, with the project privately funded by the Wanderers.
“What I’ve seen over the last 10 years of working on this project is coming up with that type of money is going to be incredibly difficult for HRM right now, so we’ve come up with a solution that we think can work,” Martin told reporters after Tuesday’s council meeting.
The Canadian Premier League team has been playing in a pop-up stadium at Wanderer’s Grounds in downtown Halifax since 2019. That pop-up is on municipal land and lacks amenities such as running water and permanent grandstands.
There have been years of discussions and debates about a permanent stadium.
Martin’s new proposal reimagines the Wanderers Block as a permanent, year-round stadium with the possibility of a winter bubble dome. It would have a 650-space parking area beneath the facility that could also be used by people visiting the nearby QEII Health Sciences Centre. In addition, the plan has extra space for the Halifax Lancers horse riding school and a new lawn bowling green.
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The proposal also includes a community sports hub at Maybank Field in Dartmouth, which would provide expanded facilities for soccer and community sports.
“I think we’ve done the best we can to find a solution that satisfies as many stakeholders as we can without it ever being perfect for anyone,” Martin said.
Martin told councillors the project will cost about $100 million and be privately funded.
HRM would still partner in the project through a 99-year lease.
Many on council were tentatively excited by the proposal.
“Now, I’ve been saying very plainly for quite a while that we need to seek partners in our large infrastructure and capital projects. And so that’s what the proponent in this case has done,” said Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore.
Coun. Tony Mancini called it a “creative approach.”
“Our normal approach is not working anymore because of a variety of different reasons. We need to be more creative. Here’s a creative approach in front of us. I think it’s worthy of the conversation,” he said.
However, there was concern expressed about the quick timeline. The initial plan is to break ground in January 2027.
As well, there are considerations about the use of private investment on public land.
“When we do it this way and when it’s privately owned, we lose that municipal opportunity. I think there’s a lot more to consider,” said Deputy Mayor Patty Cuttell.
Angie Holt, executive director and head coach with the Halifax Lancers, said they’ve had some consultation with the Wanderers and are interested to see where the project goes.
“We’ve been living in the state of uncertainty for a long time now, but I do think that due process is absolutely necessary and we have to make sure this is something that actually is going to work for everybody,” said Holt.
A motion for a staff report for HRM to consider the proposal’s implications passed 15-1.
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