Point Douglas stadium could cost Winnipeg $200M: mayor

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz estimates it could cost city taxpayers as much as $200 million to support a proposed stadium development in the Point Douglas area.

Last week, Winnipeg businessman David Asper unveiled plans for a $400-million stadium, water park and retail complex on 20 hectares of land in the inner-city neighbourhood.

The proposal would require a major overhaul of the area, possibly including moving Higgins Avenue several blocks north, upgrading the Louise Bridge and building new off-ramps from the Disraeli Freeway.

It's not yet clear who would pay for all of that roadwork, but Katz said the costs are being tallied.

"You could be talking $100 million there. These are preliminary numbers," Katz said Monday.

There's also the cost of buying out people who currently own landat the proposed stadium site. Asper has said the city would be responsible for what he calls "land assembly."

Katz has not committed to that, and says those costs would also be significant.

"Land assembly, in my opinion, could be anywhere from $40 million to $100 million," he said.

"We're there. We're ready to move forward. But by the same token, don't think for a moment that the city is going to roll over and the taxpayers are going to bear all the costs. [That's] not going to happen."

The plan calls for $25 million from the province and $15 million from the federal government. Neither has committed to the project, but bothexpressed interest in it.

The city has signed a memorandum of understanding with Asper's development group, Creswin Properties, which means they will continue talking about the Point Douglas site, Katz said.

Katz saidhis next meeting about the proposal could be later this week.