City, MLSE close on BMO Field expansion: Councillor
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TORONTOThe City of Toronto is close to a deal with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment to expand BMO Field.
Councillor Mark Grimes told the Toronto Sun Tuesday that a deal is “getting close” and he’s hoping it could lead to the field becoming the new home for the Toronto Argonauts.
“I’m confident that we can strike a deal between the city and MLSE,” said Grimes, the chairman of the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place. “It’s not there yet, we’re getting close in my mind.
“We should have something very shortly, in the next couple weeks we should know.”
Grimes was spotted meeting with city officials in Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly’s office on Tuesday.
He has called a special meeting of the Board of Governors on March 7 to discuss a possible deal.
“It is going to cost us money to expand, there is a portion that we would pay that we’d be guaranteed back,” he said.
The expansion would add around 10,000 seats to the more than 20,000-seat stadium, extend the length of the field and add a partial roof.
Grimes said he hopes it would provide a better home for the Toronto FC, a possible new home for the Argonauts and one day host an NHL Winter Classic game.
“It is going to be a pretty extensive renovation ... but it will be great,” Grimes said. “It would be great to bring the Argonauts back to Exhibition Place.”
Although the time frame would be tight, Grimes hopes the field could be updated in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
A MLSE spokesman declined to comment on Tuesday.
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