May 23, 2004
Toronto gives tentative nod to football stadium
Toronto is moving ahead with plans for an $80 million stadium for the CFL's Argonauts, almost half of which would be paid for with public funds, on one condition: the Canadian Soccer Association must first win its bid to host the 2007 world under-20 championships, which would be held at the new facility. If soccer's governing body, FIFA, approves the bid as expected this October, the federal and provincial governments would front $35 million for the new 20,000-seat stadium on the University of Toronto campus; the school would finance an additional $30 million itself (to be repaid by the Argos in rent) and raise the remaining $15 million from private donors. The Argos would operate and manage the facility; it's unclear what assurances have been made for community and student access to the stadium.
