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Richmond Speed Skating Oval


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Richmond Oval

Location: Richmond

Distance from Vancouver Olympic Village: 15 km

Venue Capacity: 7,600

Elevation: Sea level

Events taking place at this venue: Speed Skating

- 10,000 m Men

- 1,000 m Men, Women

- 1,500 m Men, Women

- 3,000 m Women

- 5,000 m Men, Women

- 500 m Men, Women

- Team pursuit Men, Women

Venue Description

The Richmond Oval site is located on the banks of the Fraser River, 25 minutes southwest from downtown Vancouver’s Olympic Village. The site, in the northwest corner of Richmond, is across the river from Vancouver International Airport and near Richmond City Centre.

Construction Update

The Richmond Oval will be an outstanding theatre for sport with a new 400-metre track housed in a 33,750 square metre facility. Before and after the 2010 Winter Games, the multipurpose building will provide opportunities for summer and winter sports and other community uses. Key design elements include a state-of-the art ice plant with superior air quality and climate controls. Ancillary facilities and systems will include offices, timing and athlete monitoring equipment, as well as fitness and strength training areas. Construction began in September 2005 and the goal is to complete the new facility by August 2008 to allow for testing and operational setup well in advance of the 2010 Winter Games.

Post-Games Use

The new Richmond Oval provides the community with:

• International or NHL-size hockey and short track speed skating surfaces

• Major indoor sport field house

• High-performance training area

• Community wellness centre

• Fitness centre

• Meeting rooms and academic space

• Sports medicine and sciences

• Offices for sports associations

• Waterfront park

Lumber to cover speed skating oval

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When construction of Richmond’s Olympic oval is finished in 2008, one million board feet of pine beetle lumber will cover the roof.

By Matthew Hoekstra

Staff Reporter

Jul 15 2006

Richmond will make the biggest statement of B.C.’s number one resource when the Winter Olympics come to town in 2010.

The provincial government will announce today it’s contributing $1.5 million toward the engineering and design of a wood roof for the Olympic oval.

Richmond’s $178-million oval budget included the cash needed for a steel roof. The province’s ante now gives the city what it really wanted for a community legacy facility.

“The wood design is not only unique, it is also preferable to steel in many ways, including superior acoustics and sustainability,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

It will also be constructed of mostly pine beetle lumber, otherwise known as denim or blue jean wood for blue streaks left behind from the critters.

“There’s nothing structurally wrong with pine beetle kill wood. It’s just dead wood, which is what you use in any structure, it’s just that it’s been stained by the pine beetle infestation,” said city spokesperson Ted Townsend.

Approximately one million board feet of the lumber will cover the 6.5-acre oval roof. The roof surface will be covered by an additional 19,000 sheets of four-by-eight plywood.

The B.C. Canada House at the 2006 Torino Winter Games was also built with beetle-killed lodgepole pine, harvested from the interior of the province.

The roof will create a chance for Richmond to showcase B.C. wood and technology, as well as pine beetle wood—which the province has found some success in marketing.

“It will be seen worldwide during the Olympics and leading up to Olympics, and post-Games it will still be seen as an Olympic venue, so it’s going to be a very high profile facility,” said Townsend.

The oval’s roof will be a “one-of-a-kind wave design, featuring arched trusses and rafters and a curvature in the surface panels that will give the roof a rippled appearance,” according to the Ministry of Forests.

The Viking Ship in Norway, home of the long track speed skating events of the 1994 Lillehammer Games, also had a complete wood roof.

Norway engineers pioneered a new technology at the time to create the roof, and the country has had “huge success” in marketing that technology around the world, said Townsend.

Calgary’s oval is covered with a metal frame and pre-formed cement spans.

Richmond’s oval is scheduled to open in the summer of 2008 and will be home to long track speed skating competitions in 2010 and converted to a multi-sport and wellness facility post-Games.

The city continues to look for other grants and sponsorship opportunities to get additional materials or equipment that can be used for its oval facility while staying within its $178-million budget.

“Our budget is not based on getting more of those, but certainly where we can, if we can get them to either offset or even reduce the project costs, we are certainly pursing those sorts of options,” Townsend said.

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Construction at the oval has now been underway for exactly one year. Layers of gravel (to absorb seismic shock and to prevent significant sinking of the facility) has been laid on the site and pilings are now being driven.

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  • 2 months later...

I know it's only an animation clip but the flags are so funny. There is no wind and it some how stays. So unnatural!

Do you know if TransLink will offer direct bus shuttle from Lansdowne or Richmind-Brighhouse Station to the oval (I'm pretty sure they will though)

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Richmond Oval construction on target for 2008 opening

November 17, 2006

Building construction was officially launched today for the Richmond Oval, home of the speed skating competition for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The City of Richmond was joined today by Paralympic medallist Shira Golden and Olympic speed skating hopeful Andrew Godbout, along with representatives from the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, Four Host First Nations and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to mark the start of building construction.

“The Richmond Oval will be a world class facility and the premier legacy of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “We can’t wait to see to see Canada’s next Olympic champions step to the top of the podium in Richmond Oval and listen to O Canada while our flag flies high. We’re just as excited about the generations of Richmond residents who will come to the Oval to take advantage of its outstanding services for sports and wellness or to take part in the many community, cultural and special events that will be held here.”

The Governments of Canada and British Columbia have each committed $30 million toward construction of the Richmond Oval, as part of their overall commitment to the venues budget for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The City of Richmond is responsible for additional project funding. Total budget of the Oval and related projects, including the waterfront park and plaza and parking structure, is $178 million.

The Richmond Oval will be home of the long track speed skating venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with a 400-metre track and seating for approximately 8,000 spectators. The Richmond Oval is expected to be home of up to 12 medal events in 2010, with a potential 36 medals to be awarded.

“The Richmond Oval will be a signature venue for the 2010 Winter Games and will serve as a stage for countless Olympic moments that will inspire the country and the world,” said VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong. “We’re excited about today’s construction milestone and look forward to continued progress as we anticipate the arrival of Canadian athletes in 2008.”

During the next two years, more than 1.1 million cubic feet of concrete, 5.6 million kilograms of steel rebar and one million board feet of lumber will go into completing the mammoth 33,650 square metre Richmond Oval.

The Richmond Oval is on target for its scheduled opening in the fall of 2008. In addition, approximately 55 per cent of the construction trade tenders have now been awarded and the

project remains within its $178 million budget. Most of the remaining construction tenders will be awarded within the next month and current projections continue to indicate they will also fall within budget estimates.

Post-Games, the Oval will become BC’s premier multi-purpose sports, recreation and wellness facility. The project also includes the creation of a new international destination and meeting place. The Oval, along with an adjoining waterfront plaza and park, will be the centre piece of a major new City Centre community to be developed on 32 acres along the banks of the Fraser River.

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

Contact:

Ted Townsend

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

ttownsend@richmond.ca

Source: http://www.vancouver2010.com/

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My local CTV news network showed a clip about this venue. It is great overall. However, after the Olympics are over, the post-use of this facility will be just as mentioned in the first post of this topic.

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My local CTV news network showed a clip about this venue. It is great overall. However, after the Olympics are over, the post-use of this facility will be just as mentioned in the first post of this topic.

wow.....CTV is forcing all of its local networks to air local Vancouver coverage. :lol: muahahaha. The new centre of the universe....at least for the next 3 years.

I saw it too. Looks awesome. Watch the interior renderings here (CTV Vancouver): http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate?tf=...archive=CTVNews

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I wonder why CTV is so about the olympics... must be because they won the broadcasting rights... haha! It's really nice... and best of all, it's environmentally firendly, LEED Design Standards. Best of all, the roof is made of Pine beetle Lumber. What other venues will meet LEED Standards Mr. X? I know Olympic Village, Richmond Speed Skating Oval, what else is there?

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I wonder why CTV is so about the olympics... must be because they won the broadcasting rights... haha! It's really nice... and best of all, it's environmentally firendly, LEED Design Standards. Best of all, the roof is made of Pine beetle Lumber. What other venues will meet LEED Standards Mr. X? I know Olympic Village, Richmond Speed Skating Oval, what else is there?

I'm quite sure all Vancouver venues will meet LEED Silver standards at least. There is LEED Certified, Silver, Gold and the highest, Platinum.

lol, it's great to see so much Olympic coverage already.

gah, i'm really gonna miss this forum 3 and a half years from now. I've been here too long, browsing this place during and frequently after Salt Lake 2002 and then joined in August 2002.....seems like just yesterday we won the Games, July 2 all over again.

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I'm quite sure all Vancouver venues will meet LEED Silver standards at least. There is LEED Certified, Silver, Gold and the highest, Platinum.

lol, it's great to see so much Olympic coverage already.

gah, i'm really gonna miss this forum 3 and a half years from now. I've been here too long, browsing this place during and frequently after Salt Lake 2002 and then joined in August 2002.....seems like just yesterday we won the Games, July 2 all over again.

haha... I don't have that much history of it, but I'm going to miss it to! I actually came across this forum through researching the Canada Line...

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Land sale to bring more than $43 million

Nelson Bennett, Richmond News

Published: Tuesday, March 06, 2007

RICHMOND - The city will make "significantly" more from the sale of land adjacent to the Olympic oval than it needs to help cover the project's $178-million price tag, city officials say.

The city has struck a deal with an unidentified developer for about 7.5 hectares of city-owned waterfront property adjacent to the oval on River Road for more than $43 million, according to a report to the city's general purposes committee.

The report also projects the $178-million oval to come in slightly under budget.

"Given that the revenue to be generated from land sales was one of the key risk areas, it's a relief to know you will satisfy or exceed your goals," CEO George Duncan said.

Duncan said the deal includes the sale of five parcels of land and the leasing of two.

When Richmond was awarded the bid to build the Olympic skating oval in 2004, city officials promised they would not raise taxes to pay for it.

Making good on that promise means making at least $43 million on the sale of land immediately west of the oval site on River Road. Duncan's report confirms the pending sale will generate that much and more.

"Final proceeds of sale significantly exceeds required amount," the report states.

The oval is budgeted at $178 million, and so far is projected to be under budget by $2.5 million. That's based on 91 per cent of the contracts being awarded.

The project is still 18 months from its completion date.

Duncan confirmed the offer being made is from a single proponent, not a consortium of developers. He would not say who the developer is or how much the land is being sold for, only that is exceeds the $43 million the city needs.

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

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Richmond to sell and lease land next to skating oval

Revenues total $141 million; more than three times original estimate

Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, March 26, 2007

The City of Richmond will sell and lease land adjacent to the Olympic speed skating oval to Aspac Developments Ltd. for $141 million, Mayor Malcolm Brodie announced Monday.

Brodie, at a news conference, said the agreement to sell and lease 18.6 acres of property to Aspac far exceeds the city's expectations for what it would realize from the sale, which will be used to help finance construction of the $178-million Olympic venue.

He added that the sale will allow the city to live up to its promise to build the speed skating oval without raising taxes or borrowing money.

The city's budget for the project called for a $43-million contribution from the sale of lands. Brodie said that portion of the proceeds will be put into the oval's, the remainder will be set aside in city reserve funds.

Aspac, developers of the Coal Harbour community on Vancouver's downtown waterfront, said the mixed-use development will include up to 2,000 residential units in as many as 14 mid-rise apartment towers.

The property is on the south bank of the Fraser River to the east of the No. 2 Road bridge, and represents the last of Brighouse Estates, a 548-acre farm property the city bought for $1.45 million in 1962.

dpenner@png.canwest.com

© Vancouver Sun 2007

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A more lengthy article from richmond.ca

link: http://www.richmond.ca/news/city/sale_oval_lands.htm

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Richmond Announces Sale of Oval Riverfront Lands

26 March 2007

The City of Richmond announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell and lease the 18.6-acre Oval Riverfront Lands to ASPAC Developments Ltd. for a total of $141 million.

The Oval Riverfront lands will become the site of a world class urban waterfront development surrounding the Richmond Oval, home of long track speed skating for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Oval development will include 12 to 14 mid-rise residential towers. It will be the largest master planned neighbourhood in Richmond and will include commercial residential, recreational and open park space along the banks of the Fraser River’s Middle Arm.

“This is a momentous day for the City of Richmond,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “This agreement will provide untold benefits for countless generations of Richmond residents as it will allow us to reinvest in our community’s future. We look forward to working with ASPAC to create a highly livable new neighbourhood. It will be a showcase for outstanding and sustainable design and become a destination of choice for visitors from around the world.”

Established in 1993, ASPAC is best known as the developer of Coal Harbour, transforming a former industrial site into an internationally-recognized waterfront neighbourhood popular with both residents and visitors.

“Working with Richmond, we will create a world class legacy that is worthy of this unique riverfront site,” said Raymond Li, Senior Vice President of ASPAC. “The Oval Riverfront Lands will be a high-quality, sustainable, residential neighbourhood, with diverse commercial amenities, extensive open space, and enhanced public access to the area’s most prominent assets, the Fraser River and the recreational facilities created by the Richmond Oval.”

The City required $43 million from the Oval lands agreement proceeds to support the completion of the Richmond Oval project. This agreement exceeds that requirement and fulfils Council’s commitment that no borrowing or property tax increase would be used to fund the construction of the Oval.

Council is considering options for the investment of the remaining proceeds from the agreement. It is considering a proposal that the bulk of the funds be invested in a series of Community Legacy Funds, which will preserve the principal and use investment proceeds to fund a variety of initiatives.

“The Oval Riverfront Lands are the last remaining portion of the Brighouse Estates, which was purchased by the City more than 40 years ago,” noted Mayor Brodie. “That wise investment provided for many of the civic amenities we enjoy today and helped guide the development of our City Centre. The legacy of the Brighouse Estates gave us the opportunity we have today and we need to make a new investment in our community that will also pay dividends for future generations.”

ASPAC will purchase five of seven parcels contained within the 18.6 acres and sign a 60-year lease on the remaining two parcels. Four of the parcels at the west end of the site are designated for high density residential, while the remaining three, adjoining the Richmond Oval, are designated for commercial or mixed use development.

ASPAC was selected through a Request For Proposal process initiated in the spring of 2006. In addition to its financial commitment, ASPAC’s proposal met or exceeded the RFP requirements by:

* Ensuring no net loss of public open space and extending the waterfront through “green fingers” from the dyke to the new River Road

* Increasing the publicly accessible open space within the privately-owned development area

* Improving and maximizing river views within and through the site

* Creating additional pedestrian friendly commercial activities along the entire west side of the Oval Lands

* Committing to achieve LEED Silver standard for environmentally sustainable building design

ASPAC will begin work immediately on detailed site planning. ASPAC’s design team will be led by acclaimed architect James Cheng. An initial parcel at the northeast corner is expected to be developed by 2009. While marketing and some construction is expected to be launched over the next two years, most site development will occur after 2010.

The City has retained a half acre site adjoining the Oval Riverfront Lands, which has been designated for a future affordable housing development.

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sounds exciting. anyone have any info as to whether all those big box warehouses in that area are going anywhere, anytime soon? they're an eyesore!

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Prep-ing for changing the rink to a super community centre? hmm... hint hint

Those pics remind me of the oil places in Alberta XD

I have a bit of a headache here, but I assume you mean Fort McMurray with that post. ;)

Anyway, I hope the weather is not going to be a major problem, when building that venue. You guys are not having a great time with it "this season" so far.

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