The pressure is on the Vancouver Whitecaps to find a viable stadium solution at BC Place in the short term, as well as getting a new soccer-specific stadium built in the future.
On Thursday, the Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enter an exclusive negotiation period through Dec. 31, 2026, to explore a new stadium and entertainment district and Hastings Park.
But there are a lot of steps that need to take place before the first shovel hits the ground.
Even if a new stadium is coming, it’ll take years to build. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps need a new lease agreement with PavCo to play matches at BC Place. The current deal was negotiated 15 years ago and is set to expire on Dec. 31.
A bridge deal with PavCo to play at BC Place in the short term would help provide time to find a new owner that has the monetary resources to build a new soccer-specific stadium at Hastings Park within the next decade.
Mayor Ken Sim is on the Whitecaps’ side (Rob Williams/Daily Hive)
“We will have a place to play for next year,” Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster told reporters on Thursday. “It’s more about how will this help us to bridge to the big solution. We had meetings and we have scheduled meetings and we continue to speak.”
Daily Hive reported last month that the Whitecaps take home less than 20 per cent of all net food and beverage revenue on a match day at BC Place.
While Schuster and the Whitecaps have refrained from tough talk in the media, that hasn’t exactly been the case from MLS Commissioner Don Garber or Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
Garber has described the Whitecaps’ lease with BC Place as “untenable.”
On Thursday, Sim said the provincial government needs to “step up.”
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim with a message to the BC government about the Whitecaps’ lease at BC Place:
“We are asking the provincial government to step up, get a deal done with the Vancouver Whitecaps… the economics just don’t work.” pic.twitter.com/m7gR7Dtm1m
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) December 11, 2025
“We need the Province to step up when it comes to that bridge lease at BC Place,” Sim told reporters. “The economics on a year by year basis do not make sense. The Whitecaps need a place to play over the next 4-5 years as we bring this across the line. Over the next four to five years, the Whitecaps perhaps might not be here.”
After being the source of criticism from Sim, PavCo has responded. In a statement provided to Daily Hive, the crown corporation noted the “significant revenue” the Whitecaps generated when drawing over 50,000 fans on multiple occasions this past year.
PavCo also characterized the discussions with the Whitecaps about their lease renewal as “productive,” but clearly, there are some differences of opinion on some of the issues.
“Any discussion about the current agreement – or the new agreement – should be looked at in totality, factoring in not just revenue but also operational costs and capital investments,” the PavCo statement reads. “The current agreement offers several revenue opportunities for the Whitecaps, yet the club does not contribute to or assume the risk for the vast majority of its match day costs, which would be 100 per cent their responsibility in a stadium they own.
“While we are proud to remain the current home of the Vancouver Whitecaps, the reality is that our partnership with the team is, for us, more about supporting a very valued community partner than financial profit. We have always done our best to prioritize the Whitecaps, often over more profitable events.
“We remain committed to supporting the Whitecaps’ growth and success here in Vancouver, now and into the future. But ultimately our goal is to balance the right deal for both parties while ensuring fairness for all British Columbians.”
Statement from BC Place PavCo pic.twitter.com/2Pi7SVcBN1
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) December 11, 2025
The Whitecaps are looking for a deal that sees the club receive a higher percentage of the money it generates from ticketing, food, and beverage on match days. The number of match dates that PavCo provides during the season is another area of concern.
Schuster maintains that the Whitecaps are continuing to have positive discussions with the province.
“We are talking,” Schuster said. “We had conversations, and we have scheduled our next conversations. Trust us, believe in us that we are doing things right and laser-focused on solutions. I’m optimistic we’ll get there. I’m confident that we have reasonable and good arguments on our side to get to a fair solution.
“We don’t ask for donations, a sweet deal. We ask for a fair deal. We want to get to a fair deal, and I think that’s a reasonable ask.”