Located on Evraz Place lands near the Mosaic Stadium, the new stadium features a modern and innovative design inspired by the prairie sky. Designed by British architect Dipesh Patel, the new stadium will be shaped like a sunken bowl with a spectator roof to protect fans from the weather while still being open over the field. This partial roof would be a see-through, and comprise of a series of cloth and polycarbonate cells that would be constructed in a manner to help control heat inside the oval bowl.
Another design element will be various louvers that will be featured around the stadium to control the wind. These would be opened in the summer to allow the breeze to pass through and closed in the fall to shield fans.
The new stadium will not have the previous bench-style seating existing in Mosaic Stadium. Instead, a circular footprint has been unveiled, which will offer most seats on the sides that could be as much as 80%. With a bowl design, every seat will offer good views of the course.
The stadium will also feature other design elements such as, ramps leading to higher seats that weave from indoors to outdoors, and enclosed concourse portions that feature modern amenities like TVs, wi-fi, and more comfortable bathrooms. Various party decks, lounge spaces, and other areas will also be featured which can be used throughout the year. The plan also includes the creation of a “greenway” running from Albert Street to the Lewvan.
Request for proposals has not yet been put forward by the government. The stadium is expected to entail an outlay of $278 million, while the concept design has cost the city $575,000 so far.
Mosaic Stadium is one of the oldest buildings in the Canadian Football League. It was originally built as a rugby field in 1910 and has been renovated numerous times ever since. With increasing demands, there was a need for a better stadium. Although Saskatchewan province rejected plans for a domed stadium in 2011 due to lack of federal funding, it left the room open for the city of Regina to come up with a new proposal.
Under a memorandum of understanding announced in July, the new stadium is to be funded through an $80-million grant from the province, along with $73 million from the city of Regina. The Roughriders will raise $25 million. The province will also provide $100-million loan to the city, to be repaid with interest over 30 years.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2013 and the stadium would be ready in early 2017.
