BC Place’s New $458-million Roof Disaster

The VANOC’s black-hole sucks up another couple hundred million of taxpayers loonies despite the operating deficit and millions in construction over-runs to date. In direct correlation with VANOC’s past behavior on project estimation, and the more recent trend in Vancouver’s unabated spending habits, the supposed 150 million dollar price tag of a new roof rose 300 million to a fixed-price contract total of 458 million.

2010 will be an unprecedented tax year for Vancouverites as they prepare themselves for the upcoming HST and increased property taxes. But hey, we will have a retractable roof over GM place!

In a city where just a few blocks away, thousands of homeless people are freezing to death with a cardboard roof over their heads. Where libraries and schools are shutting down because we cannot afford to pay for teachers or books. In a city where hospital wait times are measured in hours…

We, in our infinite wisdom, decide to put a 458 million dollar roof on a structure that wasn’t designed to support that sort of roof in the first place. Forget the cost-benefit analysis, forget the fact that your trying to push a square peg through a round hole, forget using common business sense; lets do it in the familiar Vancouver fashion we’ve alarmingly accepted with little complaint. If they can do it, why not? That is their line of thinking. Sure, we can repair the existing roof; but that would only be a temporary solution. Albeit in the times we are in right now, maybe even the “smart” solution.

Lets see what other options we have:

• Repair the existing roof (~25 years old)
• Replace the old roof with a new one
  • Same as the existing one
  • Upgrade to a new style roof
• Demolish and replace BC place

Lets look at repairing the existing roof:  Estimates have suggested that repairing the torn roof  could be well into the tens-of-millions of dollars range.  The current roof is aging and could need replacement soon, so perhaps, it might not be the smartest choice.

Now, lets look at replacing the roof:  For another roof to be installed, similar to the one already on BC place, the costs would be 100 to 15o million dollars based on preliminary estimates.  The project would have fallen well within these numbers because it would be a “bolt off – bolt on” type of thing.  The buildings original design was that for an “air supported” roof.  Now it doesn’t take a civil engineer to realize that an air supported roof weighs virtually nothing compared to steel.  The part that people overlook is that the original BC place was designed for just that, an air supported roof.  Installing a retractable roof would be like ripping the roof off your sedan and replacing it with a convertible top.  Yes, it is that silly!  Imagine all the extra bracing you would have to install just to make the car safe and drivable.  Would it be worth your while?  Of course not!  You could just buy a new convertible for the same cost of converting your car! Which brings me to my next point….

Replacing the building:

Lets do a case study, for sake of argument.  Did you know that the former RCA Dome in Indianapolis, IN was the sister building to BC place?

The RCA Dome was faced with a similar predicament and, as a result, was torn down in 2008.  In its place, the city erected the Lucas Oil Stadium and expanded the Indiana Convention Center.  The total cost was in the 720-million USD range.  Keep in mind, that this is now a state-of-the-art facility, expected to generate 2.25 billion in economic benefit to the region and add thousands of jobs.  The venue also hosts a NFL foot-ball team which contributed 150-million to its construction.  Also, Lucas Oil products purchased the naming rights to the venue for another 120-million.  That is 270 million that tax payers don’t have to pay; which…… brings the price down to about, you guessed it, 450-million!

Almost the same price as replacing our roof, and for what?  We still have a substandard venue, the building is still almost 30 years old, it will have to be “updated” soon as well.  For those of us who have done renovations in the past, we know that updating doesn’t come cheap.  Sometimes you are better off to build new than to update a deprecated structure.  Oh, and by the way, the new Lucas Oil Stadium features… you guessed it- a retractable roof!

Of course, even before we look at possible “smart” alternatives, we have to consider some sort of budget.  Above all, one should keep the interests of tax payers in mind before anyone.  We are the ones paying the bill expecting some sort of future benefit in return.

Imagine a teenager whose parents offered to buy them a car.  Given an unlimited budget, the teen will surely go for the luxury sports car over the economical alternative.  After all, are not the parents to blame?  It is their duty as principals to know what is the best choice. Give a monkey an unlimited budget and eventually he will build Rome, that is not the point. How long will be stand by and watch our money be wasted away by the brainless politicians running this province. What grand benefit will we reap as a civilized society with the addition of a half-billion dollar roof to BC place.

BC Place is a provincial business and it should be run as such.  Do you think the employees of PavCo.  (the crown corporation that operates BC place) want BC place torn down and replaced with a new structure.  Of course not, many of them will be out of high paying jobs for years until the new dome is complete.  And, of course, I digress… I forgot the Olympics!  Without BC place to host the opening ceremonies, where would be!  Why not though, since the public is paying anyway, spend horrendous amounts of money replacing the roof with an unneeded, unsightly, half-a-billion dollar monstrosity.  Who cares if none of us who are actually paying for it, benefit from it!  I can see the future now, to my dismay that is.  The 450-million dollar roof will surely run into construction over-runs, like I said before- the building was never designed for a roof such as the one they want to install.  It will cost somewhere in the 500-millions.  Five years down the road, BC place will be sold to a private American company for pennies on the dollar… CN Rail, BC Hydro ring a bell?  And as always, the taxpayers will be left paying the debt for the next 20 years.

Even now I can see the drivel frothing at the mouth in anticipation of all the Madonna concerts and auto shows that will grace our province.  The new roof will do nothing to attract new business and events, other than those they already host.  Seriously, you think BC Place will be the only stadium with a retractable roof?  Ill let you decide which of the above options is the smart way to go.

Its about time someone took accountability for their actions.  How long will we stand back and let our investments be mismanaged?  Its time we do something to secure our future, rather than turn a blind eye to benefit from the present.