Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)

Commonwealth Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in the McCauley neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta. It is primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Opened in 1978 the stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games. With a permanent seating capacity of over 60,000, Commonwealth Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the CFL behind Olympic Stadium in Montreal, 66,308. Commonwealth Stadium has been the host venue for the Grey Cup championship game four times: 1984, 1997, 2002 and 2010. The average attendance for all four games was 61,565.

History
Commonwealth Stadium was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, held in Edmonton. In the early 1970s, a group of Edmonton sports enthusiasts organized a bid to host the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Initially, when Edmonton was chosen to host the games, thought was given to rebuild the existing Clarke Stadium to make it large enough to host the main track and field, and other sports events for the games. However, by late 1974, there was substantial agreement that a new larger stadium was the best option. In January 1975, the Edmonton City Council decided to build a new over 40,000-seat stadium adjacent to Clarke Stadium.

Despite considerable opposition from residents and community groups in the new stadium area, construction began on the new facility in March 1975. Construction of the new Commonwealth Stadium was a massive undertaking. 500,000 cubic yards of dirt was removed for the stadium infield, and this excavation work required 40 trucks, eight earth movers, backhoes, excavators, and other heavy equipment. Construction was completed in 1978, prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games on August 3, 1978. The stadium cost $20.9-million to build, and the original capacity was approximately 42,500. Commonwealth Stadium boasts one of the largest outdoor screens in the world. The Sony Jumbotron has a 16:9 aspect ratio and features full animation, split-screen, and slow-motion replay.

Renovations
The stadium was expanded by about 18,000 seats to a total capacity of over 60,000 for the Summer Universiade Games held in 1983. The stadium also underwent major renovations in 2001, costing $22.17 million.

Field Turf
On March 10, 2010, the city council approved the replacement of the grass with artificial turf. It cost $2.6 million to change the turf and was completed in May 2010 before the start of the 2010 Edmonton Eskimos season. This was the last CFL stadium to switch to artificial turf.

The new surface installed at Commonwealth was FieldTurf Duraspine Pro, and it was the newest version of the product at the time and it is the same surface that was installed at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots. 21 of 32 NFL teams play or practise on FieldTurf.

The new turf installed at Commonwealth Stadium has a field area of 109908 sqft. A total of 35 rolls were installed, each roll was 15 ft wide by 239 ft; The seams are stitched together, not glued. There is a "shock pad" underneath the playing surface that provides additional cushioning. 12,400 cubic metres (1900 truckloads) of existing soil and turf was removed. Hauled back was 14,600 cubic metres (440 loads) of bottom ash. The infill material comprised a mix of 165 tons of rubber and 340 tons of sand. A mix of sand and cryogenic (recycled) rubber pellets keep the grass fibres upright and help give a natural grass look and feel to the surface and ensures excellent playability in all weather conditions.

The turf has a positive environmental impact. It eliminates the need for water and fertilizers and has a life expectancy of 15 years.

Renovations
In 2010 $112-million was set aside for a field house, a state-of-the-art locker room (patterned after the Green Bay Packers locker room) and two floors of new office space at Commonwealth Stadium, which include an Eskimos football operations office floor, media rooms and a game-day hosting area. The stadium improvements also include new lights with much higher brightness which are HDTV compatible. The locker renovation includes individual fans, internet ports, and cellphone recharge hook-ups.

New Green seats
The long-planned transition to the new, wider green and gold seats from the original orange and red seats will reduce the seating in most rows by one seat. Expected to cost $12 million over two years of installation, the final transformation is expected to begin in 2012. "When the stadium is completed with the new green seats, the entire cost, including construction back in 1978, will be about $200 million," said Rick LeLacheur. LeLacheur also said, "The replacement value of Commonwealth Stadium would be significantly beyond a half a billion dollars." Current Eskimo President and CEO Len Rhodes said during the Eskimo's annual general meeting on January 21, 2012 that half the new stadium seats will be installed during the 2012 CFL season and the other half before the start of the 2013 CFL season. The installation of all seats will reduce the seating capacity at the stadium to 56,302. The 21-inch wide theatre-style seats will feature cup holders and replace the 19-inch wide seats in the main stands. Half-back seats will replace the bench seating in the endzones.

Seating
The stadium has permanent seating for over 60,000, but can hold more with temporary seating. On September 26, 2009, the record for largest crowd to attend a regular-season Eskimos home game was set at 62,517 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The second largest crowd in stadium history was the Grey Cup game on November 28, 2010, with 63,317 in attendance. The largest crowd was an estimated 65,000 for the U2 360° Tour concert on June 1, 2011.

Commonwealth Stadium is divided into 2 levels: Lower and Upper deck. The Lower deck has rows numberd 1–45(A and B); the Upper deck has rows numbered 46–84. Covered areas are: Westside row 36–45B and Eastside rows 38–45B. There is no smoking in the stadium. Section C in the lower deck is non-alcohol (for Edmonton Eskimos games only). Double-letter sections in the lower deck are bench seating. The home bench is on west side (for Edmonton Eskimos games only). The scoreboard can be seen on both ends. Replays are broadcast on the north end.

The stadium is the second largest in permanent capacity in Canada, after Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

Pricewaterhouse Green & Gold Room
The Green and Gold Club at Commonwealth Stadium offers the most exclusive way to enjoy the Edmonton Eskimo football club, it can be used for entertaining clients, rewarding employees and it can be use to take in a game with friends and family at your own table in the Club. The club sports two large television screens, a delicious buffet which is served 90 minutes prior to kick-off, a wide choice of beverages and superior service by the Sawmill staff makes the table the best seat in the house. Tables of six are available and receive one parking pass on the west side of the stadium. The Club remains open 30 minutes after the final whistle.

Executive Suites
The Executive suites (10 seat and 16 seat) at Commonwealth stadium are heated suites and they are furnished to complement the green and gold interior color scheme. The 10 seat suite has a carpeted living room with a leather sofa or loveseat and coffee tables; a 20" wall-mounted television (with game broadcast and basic cable channels available); Counters with a bar sink and upper and lower cabinets; it also has an under counter mini-fridge for beverages; Custom-made EE bar stools with drink rail overlooking the window; a Sliding glass door outside to the exterior viewing seats; Private restroom and coat closets and private telephone. The suite contains a complimentary copy of the Esks Game Day program for the current game; 3 parking passes; Special game promotions and handouts. Western Food Services provides the Catering and Beverage service to all suite holders. Menu are available upon request.

The 16 seat suite is available for one game rentals if needed. The suite is located on the main concourse on the west side by section A. The 398 square feet suite is furnished to complement the green and gold interior color scheme. It has a carpeted living room with leather sofa or loveseat and a coffee table. The suite has a 20" wall-mounted television (game broadcast and basic cable channels available), a counter with bar sink and upper and lower cabinets; an under counter mini-fridge for beverages; custom-made EE bar stools with drink rail overlooking the window; a sliding glass door outside to the exterior viewing seats; private restroom and coat closet; a private telephone for your use. The 16 seat suite also has complimentary copies of the Eskimo Game Day program each game, with special game promotions and handouts placed in the suite prior to the game. The catering/Beverages service is also provided by Western Food Services and a menu is available upon request. Two (2) parking passes are also provided.

Field
The stadium was, until 2010, one of the few major facilities in Canada to have a natural grass playing surface. As such, Commonwealth Stadium often played host to international soccer matches and tournaments. Due the completion of the soccer-specific BMO Field in Toronto, Commonwealth Stadium is now rarely used as a soccer venue.

Commonwealth stadium was last resodded in April 2007 in preparation for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In 2010, Edmonton City Council approved the replacement of the turf with artificial turf, which was completed in May 2010. The City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Eskimos teamed up to do the 50/50 cost-shared project which rung in at $2.6 million.

Notable events

 * Commonwealth Stadium has hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
 * Commonwealth Stadium hosted the 1983 Summer Universiade.
 * Commonwealth Stadium hosted the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, and the final match of the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in 2002, and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
 * Commonwealth Stadium will host 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup games.
 * Commonwealth Stadium was the host of the first regular-season outdoor NHL hockey game in 2003, called the Heritage Classic, played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens.
 * Commonwealth Stadium was also the home field for Canada's men's national soccer team until the 2007 opening of BMO Field in Toronto. It hosted an international friendly match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps in May 2008, and River Plate and Everton F.C. in July 2009.
 * In rugby union, the stadium has hosted Churchill Cup matches and hosted some 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup matches, including the final.
 * The CFL Grey Cup game has been played at Commonwealth Stadium on four occasions: in 1984, 1997, 2002, and 2010.
 * Commonwealth Stadium has also hosted many concerts, including Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Tim McGraw, The Rolling Stones, The Police, Fiction Plane, AC/DC, U2, Rage Against the Machine, Kenny Chesney, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Lilith Fair & Edgefest. U2 performed at the stadium on June 1, 2011 to an estimated crowd of 65,000, on their U2 360° Tour. The show was originally to be held on June 23, 2010, but had to be postponed following Bono's emergency back surgery.
 * Commonwealth Stadium hosted Billy Graham's 1980 Northern Canada Crusade also.

Transportation
Commonwealth stadium is served by Stadium Station along the LRT (201) line and the Stadium Transit Centre (served by Routes 2, 120 and 127) adjacent to the LRT station. Through their Green & Go program with the city of Edmonton, which began in June 2008, the Eskimos provide free transportation to Commonwealth stadium. There is no other professional sports team which provides this service outside of the Eskimos.

Media

 * Rick LeLacheur talks about field turf in Commonwealth
 * Field Turf Progress
 * Construction Update #1 - Feb 19, 2010
 * Construction Update 2 - March 26, 2010
 * Construction Update 3 - April 16, 2010
 * Construction Update #4 - May 7, 2010
 * Construction Update 5 - May 21,2010
 * New Eskimo Locker Room with Dwayne Mandrusiak