Group behind downtown Kingston stadium proposal drops plans

CBC

08-03-2025

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The group behind a plan to build a multi-sport stadium at the Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ont., has withdrawn its proposal, the city says.
Victory Grounds Ventures (VGV) had pitched a turf field covered by a dome in winter at the downtown site, in the hopes of wooing a Canadian Premier League team and two semi-pro teams.
But in a statement Friday evening, the City of Kingston said VSV had withdrawn the proposal "after careful thought and consideration."
"This was one of the most robust engagements the City had ever been involved in, with hundreds of people taking time to come forward and share their comments about the proposal," the statement said.
The city's statement did not go into details as to why VSV was pulling its proposal. It noted the decision came ahead of a report city staff were expecting to present at a council meeting on March 18.
In an email to CBC, VGV managing partner Paul Barbeau said "potential legal issues" were identified during the due diligence process "which unfortunately made this project at the Memorial Centre not feasible."
When asked, Barbeau said he could not share details about the issues.
Plan was divisive
Opinions on the stadium plan were divided, with a petition launched by Annette Burfoot, co-chair of the Williamsville Community Association gathering thousands of signatures.
"It's a public space being taken over by private interests, and it's going to have a massive impact on surrounding residents, really disturbing their quality of life," Burfoot told CBC in January.
A previous city staff report said the stadium plan would have several impacts on the Memorial Centre Grounds, including moving a popular dog park and losing some sports field uses.
Barns used during the Kingston Fall Fair that house the Memorial Centre Farmers' Market in the colder months would also have had to come down to make room for parking, that report said.