Children's Hospital sale prompts debate about where ballpark could work
Baseball stadium on Atwater would have to jump through series of hurdles and cope with size restraints
The possibility of building a baseball stadium at the site of the former Montreal Children's Hospital has some wondering: Where else in the city would a ballpark work?
- Speculation about old Children's Hospital has baseball fans dreaming
- New owner of former Children's Hospital hints at using site for baseball stadium
Developer Luc Poirier sparked the discussion by raising the possibility of a baseball stadium at Atwater Street and René Lévesque Boulevard after acquiring the 1.4-million square foot property.
But there are several other locations around the city that have been floated as possibilities.
Other possible locations
In a 2013 study by Ernst & Young, the Children's Hospital site stacked up well against former Blue Bonnets on Decarie Boulevard, as well as a site near the Bonaventure Expressway and another at the Peel Basin.
The study noted that the Bonaventure Expressway site lacks public transit, although some light rail might be built in the future.
The Wellington Basin site, also south of downtown, lacks public transportation but has the advantage of not requiring any demolition or expropriation.
The report notes that the old Blue Bonnets site on Decarie is 10 km from downtown and is not within walking distance. However, no demolition or expropriation would be required at that site.
The study urged Montreal to follow the Minnesota Twins' experience, as Minneapolis–St. Paul has a similar population and also came close to losing its team after fans slowly soured on the older stadium.
The new Target Field has been a success, which has injected money into the area around the stadium, the study notes.
The case for and against an Atwater ballpark
One close observer agreed that the location has some major upsides.
"It's a wonderful location for a stadium," said Robert Libman, an architect who has worked with the Montreal Baseball Project.
"It has the aura of being the near the old Montreal Forum, and it's easily accessible to downtown – if, architecturally, you could find a way to fit it on the site," said Libman.
"But it's thought to be a little too small."
There is considerable support from the top, as Mayor Denis Coderre has been a major proponent of the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal.
But even that has its limits, as Libman, a former Montreal executive committee member, noted.
"The mayor can really push it with great momentum, but there are regulatory hurdles, a zoning modification process, citizen consultations – and borough and city council has to be on board," he said.
Expos' boosters skeptical
"It's not the ideal situation but certainly something you could look at," said Marc Griffin, a former major league player who now works on TV as a baseball analyst.
Warren Cromartie, a former Expo who has tirelessly lobbied for the return of the team through his Montreal Baseball Project, was also skeptical.
"I just think it's too small," he told Daybreak. Cromartie said that in spite of the limited options, there is still hope that a different location will emerge.
"We're honing down on a couple of sites, and we don't want to get the public into a frenzy."
Other small ballparks
A ballpark at the Atwater site would be a tight fit.
Here are some comparisons, according to unofficial measurements taken from Google Maps.
- The Atwater site would potentially occupy a footprint of roughly just under 190 metres by 210 metres if the adjacent Cabot Square is absorbed into the project.
- Target Field in Minnesota occupies a footprint of roughly 155 metres by 235 metres.
- Wrigley Field in Chicago measures about 100 metres between Waveland Avenue and Addison Street, and 196 metres between Sheffield Street and Clark Street.
- The unusually-shaped Fenway Park, a much-venerated structure built in 1912, has four unequal sides of roughly 230 metres, 180 metres, 110 metres and 100 metres.