Whitecaps to play at site of original home

• Vancouver Sun, Wednesday, December 23, 2009 12:30 PM

Plans are underway for the construction of a temporary stadium to house the Vancouver Whitecaps before the MLS expansion team moves into BC Place in 2011. The 27,500-seat temporary stadium on the grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition will also be the home of the CFL's B.C. Lions for the 2010 season and part of 2011. Work on BC Place will begin after the closing of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The temporary stadium is on the site of the old Empire Stadium, where the NASL Whitecaps played their first game in 1974. "I personally have a lot of memories associated with the site,"  Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said. "Since news that the temporary stadium would definitely be on the old Empire site I've heard from many fans who have their own memories."

Unresolved is the issue of the playing surface. The old artificial turf from BC Place, which will be used in the temporary stadium, doesn't meet MLS standards.

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