One of the biggest capital projects in Saskatchewan’s history is poised to propel downtown Regina to new heights.
The new home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders is scheduled to be completed by the end of next summer and welcome its first football fans for the 2017 home opener.
The province, the City of Regina and the football club are funding the $278-million project, which is being built just to the west of downtown.
Built just a couple of punts away from the current Mosaic Stadium, it is expected to provide a significant boost to the city’s hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants and pubs.
The new facility, which will maintain the same sponsor and name “Mosaic Stadium,” will have a capacity of 33,000 and be expandable to 40,000 for Grey Cups and major concerts, said Brent Sjoberg, Regina’s deputy city manager and chief operating officer.
If the extra seats are needed on a more regular basis, they can be transformed into permanent seats without much difficulty, he said.
Once the 80-year-old stadium has hosted its last game, it will be bulldozed and redeveloped into a mixed-use site that will include a pathway to the heart of downtown. This “Taylor Field neighbourhood,” it will include retail, commercial and residential.
“It will be a more active area from downtown to the stadium,” Sjoberg said.
