Soccer club Toronto FC got its MLS season off on the right foot in Seattle last weekend with a big 2-1 win. But it was news off the pitch that had Toronto really talking. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (the company that owns the soccer team) CEO Tim Leiweke told the Toronto Sun that the company would be spending $120M on upgrades to BMO Field, adding a partial roof, another 10,000 seats, and making it more suitable to double as a future home for the city’s pro football team, the Argos. The plan also involves hosting big festivals like the NHL’s popular Winter Classic.
The last time there was talk of entertainment-focused development down by the stadium, it was heated debate over a massive casino complex. City council bounced that plan last fall, led by opponents like First Capital Realty pres Dori Segal (who owns and manages properties nearby). Dori tells us he spent “north of a million” mounting an attack. “We are business people,” he says. “We would have supported it if we thought it was good.”
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