Misplaced Pages

#836163

74-495: The cables that open the stadium's retractable roof are suspended from the tower. The tower was not complete in time for the 1976 Summer Olympics , and construction resumed following with the building's observatory, accessed by an inclined elevator , opening in 1987. The observatory showcases the history of the stadium, and the Olympics overall, including Caitlyn Jenner 's (at the time Bruce Jenner) decathlon win. The Tower overlooks

148-481: A bar or restaurant a retractable roof measuring 20' by 30'; and a meeting hall a 50' by 100' bi-parting-over-stationary. Stadium retractable roofs are generally used in locales where inclement weather, extreme heat, or extreme cold are prevalent during the respective sports seasons, in order to allow for playing of traditionally outdoor sports in more favorable conditions, as well as the comfort of spectators watching games played in such weather. Unlike their predecessors,

222-410: A baseball venue, and actively campaigned for a replacement. Brochu sold the team to Jeffrey Loria in 2000, who was equally dissatisfied with Olympic Stadium; he bluntly stated, "We cannot stay here." However, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard refused to authorize public funding deemed necessary for a replacement, in part because Olympic Stadium still had not been paid for. The poor conditions played

296-411: A baseball venue. As in all multipurpose stadiums, the lower seating tier was set further back than in baseball-specific parks to accommodate the football field. However, since Canadian football fields are longer and wider than American football fields, Olympic Stadium's lower tier was set back even further than comparable seats at American multipurpose stadiums. The upper deck was one of the highest in

370-581: A combined attendance of 46,984. The New York Yankees were scheduled to play there on March 23 and 24, 2020; however, the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . No further games have been scheduled since, ending baseball spring training at the Montreal Olympic Stadium. Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit the longest home run at Olympic Stadium on May 20, 1978, driving

444-545: A field cost prohibitive. Installations throughout the world employ a variety of different configurations and styles. The first retractable roof sports venue was the now-demolished Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States. Constructed in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera , the arena was home to minor league basketball, college basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams before becoming

518-609: A full decade after the stadium's opening, is the Montreal Tower . At 165 metres (541 ft) it is the world's tallest inclined tower . The stadium and Olympic Park grounds border Maisonneuve Park , which includes the Montreal Botanical Garden , adjacent to the west across Sherbrooke Street ( Route 138 ). As early as 1963, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau sought to build a covered stadium in Montreal. A covered stadium

592-537: A fully functional retractable roof at its debut in 1989 . Architecturally speaking, retractable roofs vary greatly from stadium to stadium in shape, material and movement. For example, American Family Field has a fan style roof, while Toyota Stadium in Japan has an accordion -like roof. Most retractable roofs are made of metal, while some, such as the roof of State Farm Stadium , are made of water-resistant fabric. Although each retractable roof differs in these aspects,

666-451: A guarantee on his own authority. Just as Charles Bronfman , who was slated to become the franchise's first owner, was ready to walk away, Drapeau had his staffers draw up a proposal for a stadium. It was enough to persuade Bronfman to continue with the effort. The stadium was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert to be an elaborate facility featuring a retractable roof , which was to be opened and closed by cables suspended from

740-623: A huge 165-metre (541 ft) tower – the tallest inclined structure in the world, and the tenth tallest structure in Montreal. The design of the stadium has been likened to that of the Australian Pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan , although Taillibert had previously explored the concept of an umbrella-style roof for a theatre in Cannes (1964) and Piscine Carnot in Paris (1967). Soon after Montreal

814-576: A lengthy trial, the Quebec Superior Court awarded a judgement in favour of Danny's Construction and dismissed Birdair's countersuit. The stadium's condition suffered considerably in the early 21st century. During the Expos' final years in Montreal, it was coated with grime, and much of the concrete was chipped, stained, and soiled. In 2009, the stadium received approval to remain open in the winter, provided weather conditions are favourable. However,

SECTION 10

#1732851154837

888-517: A role in the Expos nearly being disbanded in the 2001 Major League Baseball contraction plan , which fell through due to court rulings. Ten years after the last Expos game at Olympic Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays played two spring training games at the stadium against the New York Mets on March 28 and 29, 2014, with combined attendance of 96,350. The Jays would continue this practice for

962-471: A speaker. The distance travelled by this ball is also estimated at 525 feet. The longest home run hit to left field was Vladimir Guerrero 's blast on July 28, 2003, that hit an advertising sign directly below the left field upper deck. The ad was later replaced with a sign reading "VLAD 502". The Olympic Stadium was the home of the NASL 's Montreal Manic soccer team from 1981 to 1983. A 1981 playoff game against

1036-399: A swimming pool beyond the right field fence. On April 4, 1988, the Expos' Opening Day, Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets hit a ball off a speaker which hangs off a concrete ring at Olympic Stadium, estimated to have travelled 525 feet. Henry Rodríguez hit a ball on June 15, 1997, that bounced off the concrete ring in right field, caromed up to hit the roof, and came down, hitting

1110-478: A warehouse in Marseille until 1982, and the tower and roof were not completed until 1987. It would be another year before the 66-tonne, 5,500 m (59,000 sq ft) Kevlar roof (designed and built by Lavalin ) could retract. Even then, it could not be used in winds above 40 km/h (25 mph). Ultimately, it was only opened and closed 88 times. When construction on the stadium's tower resumed after

1184-526: Is a multi-purpose stadium in Montreal , Canada , located at Olympic Park in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of the city. Built in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics , it is nicknamed "The Big O", a reference to both its name and to the doughnut -shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof. It is also disparagingly referred to as "The Big Owe" in reference to

1258-493: Is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights . The term operable skylight , while quite similar, refers to a skylight that opens on a hinge, rather than on a track. Retractable roofs are used in residences, restaurants and bars, swim centres, arenas and stadiums, and other facilities wishing to provide protection from

1332-642: Is any significant threat of precipitation.) Depending on the stadium, weather or gameplay conditions, and the judgment of the officials, play may or may not continue until the roof is fully closed. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may be opened under some circumstances depending on the venue. If it is closed after the game begins, typically it must remain closed for the duration of the game. Some modern athletic facilities are using less-complex roof systems commonly referred to as open roofs . These are constructed with similar materials as retractable roofs, such as polycarbonate or tempered glass roofs. Hinged at

1406-573: Is designed to remain level throughout its trip, while providing a panoramic view to its passengers. The elevator faces north-east, offering a view to the north, south and east. It overlooks the Olympic Village, the Biodome, the Botanical Gardens and Saputo Stadium. The Olympic Park, the stadium's suspended roof and downtown Montreal can be viewed from the south-west-facing Observatory at the top of

1480-438: The 1976 season . Capacity was reduced from its Olympic capacity of 72,000 to 58,500, but leapt to 66,308 when the natural grass was replaced with AstroTurf ahead of the 1977 season . The Alouettes remained there through 1986, the franchise's final season of operations; the team would shut down shortly after the start of the 1987 season . A revived Alouettes franchise returned for the 1996 and 1997 seasons , but then moved to

1554-512: The 2004 baseball season, the Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., to become the Washington Nationals . The stadium currently serves as a multipurpose facility for special events (e.g. concerts, trade shows) with a permanent seating capacity of 56,040. The capacity is expandable with temporary seating. CF Montréal (formerly known as Montreal Impact) of Major League Soccer (MLS) has used

SECTION 20

#1732851154837

1628-480: The Chicago Sting attracted a crowd of over 58,000. Several games of the 2007 FIFA Under 20 World Cup were played at Olympic Stadium and drew the largest crowds of the tournament, including two sell-outs of 55,800. Olympic Stadium hosted a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final game pitting the original Montreal Impact – who played primarily in the adjacent Saputo Stadium – against Club Santos Laguna of

1702-790: The Los Angeles Dodgers , who went on to win the World Series . On October 19, the Expos lost the decisive fifth game, 2–1, to the Dodgers on Rick Monday 's ninth-inning home run . In 1982, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Olympic Stadium in front of 59,057—a stadium record for baseball. On September 29, 2004, the Expos played their last game in Montreal, losing 9–1 to the Florida Marlins before 31,395. Olympic Stadium proved to be somewhat problematic as

1776-463: The NFL and MLB , as well as from stadium to stadium. In general, if a game begins with the roof open and weather conditions become less favorable, the home team may, with the approval of the field officials and visiting team, request the roof be closed. (Such a scenario is generally rare, due to the accuracy of modern weather forecasting and a general err on the side of caution that keeps a roof closed if there

1850-521: The Percival Molson Stadium in 1998. The Alouettes used Olympic Stadium for select regular season games until 2009, and playoff games until 2012. Due to the increased popularity of the Alouettes and the small capacity of Percival Molson Stadium, the team considered returning to Olympic Stadium on a full-time basis, but instead renovated Percival Molson Stadium to increase its capacity. In addition,

1924-573: The Sacramento Surge defeated the Orlando Thunder 21–17 before 43,789. In 1988 (Jets and Browns) and 1990 (Steelers and Patriots), NFL pre-season games were played at Olympic Stadium. In 1977, the stadium replaced Jarry Park Stadium as the home ballpark of the National League 's Montreal Expos . As a part of the team's franchise grant, a domed stadium was supposed to be in place for

1998-652: The Washington Nationals . Olympic Stadium's first baseball game was played on April 15, 1977. In front of 57,592, the Expos lost 7–2 to the Philadelphia Phillies . However, the Expos had to use a hacksaw to cut open the locks because the OIB did not have a master key . The Expos played five home playoff games in 1981; two in the NLDS against the Phillies, and three in the NLCS against

2072-420: The domes built primarily during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, retractable roofs also allow for playing of the same traditionally outdoor sports in outdoor conditions when the weather is more favorable. Another purpose of retractable roofs is to allow for growth of natural grass playing fields in environments where extreme hot and/or cold temperatures would otherwise make installation and maintenance of such

2146-429: The 1972 baseball season. However, due to the delays in constructing Olympic Stadium, until 1977, the Expos annually sought and received a waiver to remain at Jarry. As late as January 1977, it was thought the Expos would have to play at least part of the 1977 season at Jarry as well. The Parti Québécois ' landslide victory in the 1976 provincial elections caused the Expos to break off lease talks. However, an agreement

2220-413: The 1976 Olympics, a multi-storey observatory was added to the plan, accessible via an inclined elevator , opened in 1987, that travels 266 metres (873 ft) along the curved tower's spine. The elevator cabin ascends from base of the tower to the upper deck in less than two minutes at a rate of 2.8 m/s (6.3 mph), with space for 76 persons per trip and a capacity of 500 persons per hour. The cabin

2294-407: The 1976 Olympics, construction on the tower resumed in the 1980s. During this period, however, a large fire set the tower ablaze, causing damage and forcing a scheduled Expos home game to be postponed. In 1986, a large chunk of the tower fell onto the playing field prior to another Expos game August 29 vs. San Diego Padres forcing a doubleheader on August 30. In January 1985, approval was given by

Montreal Tower - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-419: The 1976 Summer Olympic Games. The stadium was host to various events including the opening and closing ceremonies , athletics , football finals, and the team jumping equestrian events. The building's design is cited as a masterpiece of Organic Modern architecture. Taillibert based the building on plant and animal forms, aiming to include vertebral structures with sinews or tentacles, while still following

2442-413: The Expos' tenure, the padding on the fence was so thin that fielders risked severe injury by going after long fly balls. However, the OIB was also unwilling to replace the padding. By the 1990s, several free agents specifically demanded that the Expos be taken out of consideration due to the poor playing conditions. By the mid-1990s, owner Claude Brochu concluded that Olympic Stadium was not suitable as

2516-567: The Expos' tenure, the playing surface was an extremely thin AstroTurf carpet, with only equally thin padding between it and the concrete floor. It was so hard on players' knees that visiting teams frequently ran at a nearby park. Longtime Expos trainer Ron McClain begged for a replacement, but the OIB was unwilling to spend the $ 1 million needed for a new surface. Before the roof finally arrived, players had to contend with huge patches of ice in early April or late September. Additionally, for most of

2590-682: The Montreal Impact home opener soccer match in March 2014. A contract for a new permanent steel roof was awarded in 2004, with an estimated $ 300 million price tag. In June 2010, the Olympic Installations Board sought approval from the provincial government for the contract. In May 2011 a committee was formed to study the future of the stadium and improve the usage of the stadium, pool, and sports centre. A slab of concrete measuring approximately 8 by 12 metres (26 by 39 ft) fell from

2664-491: The Olympic Games took place, it was thanks to Dédé Desjardins. What irony!" Further delays ensued due to the stadium's unusual design and Taillibert's unwillingness to back down from his original vision of the stadium even in the face of escalating costs for raw materials. It did not help that the original project manager, Trudeau et Associés, seemed to be incapable of handling some of the most basic construction tasks. In 1974,

2738-514: The Olympic Installations Board issued a report stating that the roof was unsafe during heavy rainfall or more than 8 centimetres (3.1 in) of snow, and that it rips 50 to 60 times a year. The city fire department warned in August 2009 that without corrective measures, including a new roof, it may order the stadium closed. Events cannot be held if more than 3 centimetres (1.2 in) of snow are predicted 24 hours in advance, such as caused postponement of

2812-622: The Olympic Village, the Biodome, the Botanical Gardens and Saputo Stadium. At the base of the tower is the Olympic Park Sports Centre, home to elite training facilities. Between 2015 and 2019, the Olympic Installations Board spent $ 200 million to convert the building into an office tower, designed by Provencher Roy which housed more than 1,000 Desjardins Group employees as of 2019. 45°33′35″N 73°33′08″W  /  45.5598°N 73.5522°W  / 45.5598; -73.5522 Retractable roof A retractable roof

2886-456: The Quebec government approved a new roof, estimated to cost $ 250 million. The new roof was then planned to be removable, allowing the stadium to either be open-air or enclosed, consistent with the intent of the original roof. The option of a removable portion of the roof has since been removed from the scope of the project. The Olympic Installations Board has estimated the cost of demolishing

2960-404: The Quebec government to complete the project and install a retractable roof, financed by an Olympic cigarette tax in the province. The tower construction and installation of the orange-coloured Kevlar roof were completed by April 1987, a decade later than planned. The roof experienced numerous rips, allowing rain to leak into the stadium. As part of various renovations made in 1991 to improve

3034-434: The Quebec provincial government lost patience with the delays and cost overruns and fired Taillibert from the project. Additionally, the project was plagued by circumstances beyond anyone's control. Work slowed to a snail's pace for a third of the year due to Montreal's typically brutal winters. As a result, the stadium and tower remained unfinished at the opening of the 1976 Olympic Games. The roof materials languished in

Montreal Tower - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-498: The atmosphere friendlier for baseball. During the 1970s and early 1980s, fans arriving at the stadium from the Metro were greeted by an oom-pah band playing " The Happy Wanderer ." Whenever an opposing pitcher tried to hold a runner at first rather than pitch, the sound system would cluck at him like a chicken. Before the 1991 season , the OIB began a major overhaul on the stadium's baseball configuration. The lower deck in centre field

3182-463: The ball into the second deck in right field for an estimated distance of 535 feet. The yellow seat that marked the location where the ball landed has been removed from the 300 level (a new yellow marker seat was placed in 2015). The seat is now preserved at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . Stargell also hit a notable home run at the Expos' original Montreal home, Jarry Park, which landed in

3256-534: The basic plans of Modern architecture . The stadium was originally slated to be finished in 1972, but the grand opening was cancelled due to a strike by construction workers. The Conseil des métiers de la construction union headed by André "Dédé" Desjardins kept the construction site in "anarchic disorder" until the Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa bought him off in a secret deal. In his 2000 book Notre Cher Stade Olympique , Taillibert wrote "If

3330-520: The elements, as well as the option of having an open roof during favourable weather. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show that David S. Miller, founder of Rollamatic Retractable Roofs, filed U.S. patent 3,277,619 in August 1963 for "a movable and remotely controllable roof section for houses and other types of buildings". While any shape is possible, common shapes are flat, ridge, hip-ridge, barrel and dome. A residence might incorporate one or more 3' by 5' retractables;

3404-496: The expected cost of the new roof had increased to $ 870 million. She said the new roof will take four years to construct, and is expected to last for 50 years. She said demolition of the stadium is "unthinkable" and not an option, for multiple reasons: the structure is an icon of Quebec, Montreal's Metro runs directly beneath the stadium, multiple businesses lease space in the office tower, and demolition would cost an estimated $ 2 billion. However, Le Journal de Montréal reported that

3478-415: The fabric provider and designer of the roof, was later sued for the roof failure. The installer of the roof, Danny's Construction, having suffered tremendous cost overruns along with its subcontractor Montacier, due to changes in the plans and specifications and delays, was terminated during the construction, and Birdair completed the project. Danny's Construction sued Birdair in 1999. In February 2010, after

3552-761: The facility. A permanent, fixed roof was installed in 1998. The Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre , now called the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia opened in January 1988. It was the first retractable roof system installed in a Grand Slam tennis venue. The roof enables matches to continue during rain, extreme heat, and in the presence of smoke from bushfires in surrounding regions. The Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) in Toronto , Ontario had

3626-498: The fence. The total seating capacity for baseball was reduced from a high of around 60,400 to 46,000. The Expos were very successful in the stadium for a time, with above National League median attendance in 1977 and from 1979 to 1983. The Expos outdrew the New York Mets from 1977 to 1983, and 1994 to 1996, as well as the New York Yankees in 1982 and 1983. The stadium's playing conditions left much to be desired. For most of

3700-593: The high cost of its construction and of hosting the 1976 Olympics as a whole. The stadium is one of the largest by seating capacity in Canada. After the Olympics, artificial turf was installed and it became the home of Montreal's professional baseball and football teams. The Montreal Alouettes of the CFL returned to their previous home of Molson Stadium in 1998 for regular season games, but continued to use Olympic Stadium for playoff and Grey Cup games until 2012. Following

3774-678: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, as well as hosting over a dozen regular season National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the 1960s and 1970s. The arena's dome-shaped roof covered 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) and was made up of eight equal segments constructed from close to 3,000 tons of steel, in which six segments could retract underneath

SECTION 50

#1732851154837

3848-639: The hometown Alouettes. The stadium holds the record for nine of the ten largest crowds in CFL history , which include five regular-season and four Grey Cup games. A single-game record crowd numbering 69,083 attended a game played on September 6, 1977, between the Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts . In 1991 and 1992, the stadium was the home of the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football . This included hosting World Bowl '92 on June 6, 1992, in which

3922-417: The majors; as was the case with most of its multipurpose counterparts, most of the upper-deck seats, particularly those in the outfield, were too far away to be of any use during the regular season. The Expos were not consulted on the stadium's location, design, or construction even though they were slated to be its primary tenants. Nonetheless, for most of their tenure they put considerable effort into making

3996-474: The new Yankee Stadium . Perceived by many to be a white elephant , the stadium has also been dubbed The Big Owe due to its astronomical cost. The stadium has generated on average $ 20 million in revenue each year since 1977. It is estimated that a large-scale event such as the Grey Cup can generate as much as $ 50 million in revenue. Although the tower and retractable roof were not completed in time for

4070-645: The next 5 years: against the Cincinnati Reds on April 3 and 4, 2015, with combined attendance of 96,545, the Boston Red Sox on April 1 and 2, 2016, with combined attendance of 106,102, the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31 and April 1, 2017, combined attendance of 95,382, the St. Louis Cardinals on March 26 and 27, 2018, with combined attendance of 51,151 and the Milwaukee Brewers on March 25 and 26, 2019, with

4144-448: The number was inflated, and demolition would cost only a small fraction of that amount. In addition, they reported that the cited cost for the new roof did not include hundreds of millions of dollars in additional work necessary to correct acoustics and remodel seats and restrooms. The Canadian Football League 's Montreal Alouettes became the stadium's first major post-Olympic tenant when they moved their home games there halfway through

4218-460: The opponents' cities. The Expos hinted that the 1992 season was at risk unless the stadium was certified safe. In early November, engineers found the stadium was structurally sound. However, it took longer to certify the roof as safe because it had been badly ripped in a June windstorm. For the 1992 season, it was decided to keep the roof closed at all times. The Kevlar roof was removed in May 1998, making

4292-458: The remaining two, supported by a 260-foot (79 m) long exterior cantilevered arm. Olympic Stadium in Montreal , Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics . However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. Even then, movement of the roof was impossible in high wind conditions, and technical problems plagued

4366-529: The roof of T-Mobile Park is unique in that it is the only one in North America that does not form a climate-controlled enclosure when in the extended position; rather, it acts as an "umbrella" to cover the playing field and spectator areas during inclement weather, with no side walls enclosing the stadium. In North American major sports leagues , specific rules exist governing the movement of retractable roofs before and during gameplay. These rules vary between

4440-437: The roof of the stadium's underground parking facility on March 4, 2012. There were no injuries. The roof continues to deteriorate, with 7,453 tears as of May 2017, limiting use of the venue in winter to when there are three or fewer centimetres of snow on the roof. In 2015, a new high definition scoreboard was installed, replacing the aging two-panel display dating back to the stadium's renovations in 1992. In November 2017,

4514-572: The stadium holds the record for the largest Grey Cup attendance, that of the 1977 Grey Cup game, in which the hometown Montreal Alouettes defeated the Edmonton Eskimos, 41-6 before 68,318 spectators; this despite a local transit strike and harsh winter weather conditions. Olympic Stadium has hosted the Grey Cup a total of six times, most recently in 2008 when the Calgary Stampeders defeated

SECTION 60

#1732851154837

4588-399: The stadium open-air for the 1998 season. Later in 1998, a $ 26 million non-retractable opaque blue roof was installed. In 1999, a 350 m (3,770 sq ft) portion of the roof collapsed on January 18, dumping ice and snow on workers that were setting up for the annual Montreal Auto Show . The auto show and a boat show the following month were cancelled, and the auto show left

4662-461: The stadium would be between $ 500 and $ 700 million, though this figure is based on a preliminary two-month study and thus has a high margin of error. The high cost of demolition is due to the stadium being built of pre-stressed concrete, which rules out a controlled implosion or wrecking ball, and instead would require carefully removing the rebar wire which is under tension. In February 2024, Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx announced that

4736-613: The stadium's owner, the Olympic Installations Board (OIB) ( fr : Régie des Installations Olympiques), accounted for 8% of the tax revenue earned from cigarette sales. The 1976 special tobacco tax act stipulated that once the stadium was paid off, ownership of the facility would be returned to the City of Montreal. In mid-November 2006, the stadium's costs were finally paid in full, more than 30 years after it opened. The total expenditure (including repairs, renovations, construction, interest , and inflation) amounted to C$ 1.61 billion, making it—at

4810-421: The stadium's suitability as a baseball venue, 12,000 seats were eliminated, most of them in distant portions of the outfield, and home plate was moved closer to the stands. On September 8 of that year, support beams snapped and caused a 55- long-ton (62- short-ton ; 56  t ) concrete slab to fall onto an exterior walkway. No one was injured, but the Expos had to move their final 13 home games of that season to

4884-427: The structure's gutters, open roofs fully close and open by the mechanics of a rack and pinion system or a push/pull drive system. Open roofs are typically seen at smaller athletic venues such as country clubs and universities, and also in the construction of commercial greenhouses and garden centres for climate control purposes. Olympic Stadium (Montreal) Olympic Stadium ( French : Stade olympique )

4958-514: The time all costs were paid off—the second most expensive stadium built (after Wembley Stadium in London). Despite initial plans to complete payment in October 2006, an indoor smoking ban introduced in May 2006 curtailed the revenue gathered by the tobacco tax. By 2014, the stadium's expense ranking had fallen to fifth, with the construction of costlier venues like MetLife Stadium , AT&T Stadium , and

5032-420: The tower. Despite initial projections in 1970 that the stadium would cost only C$ 134 million to construct, strikes and construction delays served to escalate these costs. By the time the stadium opened (in an unfinished form), the total costs had risen to C$ 1.1 billion. The Quebec government introduced a special tobacco tax in May 1976 to help recoup its investment. By 2006, the amount contributed to

5106-517: The venue for good (since then, the Montreal Auto Show has usually been held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal ). Repaired once again, the roof was modified to better withstand winter conditions: the OIB installed a network of pipes to circulate heated water under the roof to allow for snow melting. Despite these corrective measures, the stadium floor remained closed from December to March. Birdair,

5180-452: The venue when demand for tickets justifies the large capacity or when the weather restricts outdoor play at nearby Saputo Stadium in the spring months. The stadium has not had a main tenant since the Expos left in 2004. Despite decades of use, the stadium's history of numerous structural and financial problems has largely branded it a white elephant . Incorporated into the north base of the stadium, inclined at 45°, and not completed until

5254-477: Was awarded the 1976 Games, Drapeau struck a secret deal with Taillibert to build the stadium. It only came to light in 1972. The Olympic swimming pool is located under this tower. An Olympic velodrome (since converted to the Montreal Biodome , an indoor nature museum) was situated at the base of the tower in a building similar in design to the swimming pool. The building was built as the main stadium for

5328-565: Was reached in February, and an official announcement came in March. The Expos regularly played 81 home games every season until 2003 , when they played 22 home games in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan . The Expos played 59 home games at Olympic Stadium in each of their final two seasons of 2003 and 2004; the franchise moved south to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season and became

5402-418: Was removed to make room for a larger scoreboard with replay capability. That scoreboard was installed ahead of the 1992 season . Also ahead of the 1992 season, the running track was removed, home plate was moved closer to the stands and new seats closer to the field were installed. Several distant sections of permanent seating beyond the outfield fence were closed, replaced with bleacher seats directly behind

5476-558: Was thought to be all but essential for Drapeau's other goal of bringing a Major League Baseball team to Montreal, given the cold weather that can affect the city in April, October and sometimes even September. In 1967, soon after the National League granted Montreal an expansion franchise for 1969, Drapeau wrote a letter promising that any prospective Montreal team would be playing in a covered stadium by 1971. However, even though Quebec mayors have broad executive power, Drapeau could not make such

#836163