The news was confirmed at a press conference, Wednesday, by Montreal Impact president, Joey Saputo, the mayor of Montreal, Gérald Tremblay, the mayor of the Burrough of Sud-Ouest, Jacqueline Montpetit, and Mr. Lino Saputo.
“The Impact’s primary mission has always been to develop soccer in Quebec. But to continue to progress, we had to innovate for the future, ” said Montreal Impact president, Joey Saputo. “With a lack of fields on the territory, the need for high-level installations on the island of Montreal and a Claude-Robillard Stadium that was getting smaller and smaller, we had to find an innovative solution to accommodate the sport in order to ensure its development.”
Located north of the Bonaventure autoroute and south of the downtown area, the Complexe Place du Public will have an overall surface area of 1.6 million square feet and will be entirely financed by private funds to the cost of 15 million dollars. The Saputo family announced they will donate 7.5 million dollars in the project.
“I’m extremely proud of the Complexe Place du Public, declared Mr. Lino Saputo. “For my family and me this project is an ideal opportunity to give something back to the community that has supported us so outstandingly since the founding of our company in 1954. I’m already enjoying the prospect of soccer players, young ones as well as older ones, practicing their favourite sport in these high-level facilities.”
The new complex will have three soccer fields that will be available for regional soccer clubs and associations. The stadium, which could be expanded to 17,000 seats, could also host regional, provincial, national or international soccer competitions.
The Complexe Place du Public will be managed by a non-profit organization whose mission will be to promote the development of soccer by offering high-level installations to the citizens of the Greater Montreal region.
The Impact won the First Division United Soccer Leagues last season in front of a crowd of 13,648 spectators at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. The Impact finished the 2004 season with an average of 9,279 fans per game, a team record which eclipsed the previous mark of 7,236 spectators per game set in 2003.
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Source: Patrick Vallée
Info: 514-328-3668 (poste 27)
