{"id":342028,"date":"2025-12-13T06:07:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T06:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/342028\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T06:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T06:07:09","slug":"pavco-responds-after-ken-sim-tells-b-c-government-to-step-up-for-vancouver-whitecaps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/342028\/","title":{"rendered":"PavCo responds after Ken Sim tells B.C. government to ‘step up’ for Vancouver Whitecaps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there are a lot of steps that need to take place before the first shovel hits the ground.<\/p>\n

Even if a new stadium is coming, it\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ken<\/p>\n

Mayor Ken Sim is on the Whitecaps\u2019 side (Rob Williams\/Daily Hive)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will have a place to play for next year,\u201d Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster told reporters on Thursday. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Schuster and the Whitecaps have refrained from tough talk in the media, that hasn\u2019t exactly been the case from MLS Commissioner Don Garber or Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. <\/p>\n

Garber has described the Whitecaps\u2019 lease with BC Place as \u201cuntenable.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Sim said the provincial government needs to \u201cstep up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim with a message to the BC government about the Whitecaps\u2019 lease at BC Place:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are asking the provincial government to step up, get a deal done with the Vancouver Whitecaps\u2026 the economics just don\u2019t work.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/m7gR7Dtm1m<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need the Province to step up when it comes to that bridge lease at BC Place,\u201d Sim told reporters. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being the source of criticism from Sim, PavCo has responded. In a statement provided to Daily Hive, the crown corporation noted the \u201csignificant revenue\u201d the Whitecaps generated when drawing over 50,000 fans on multiple occasions this past year.<\/p>\n

PavCo also characterized the discussions with the Whitecaps about their lease renewal as \u201cproductive,\u201d but clearly, there are some differences of opinion on some of the issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny discussion about the current agreement \u2013 or the new agreement \u2013 should be looked at in totality, factoring in not just revenue but also operational costs and capital investments,\u201d the PavCo statement reads. \u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain committed to supporting the Whitecaps\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Statement from BC Place PavCo pic.twitter.com\/2Pi7SVcBN1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schuster maintains that the Whitecaps are continuing to have positive discussions with the province.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are talking,\u201d Schuster said. \u201cWe 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\u2019m optimistic we\u2019ll get there. I\u2019m confident that we have reasonable and good arguments on our side to get to a fair solution. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t ask for donations, a sweet deal. We ask for a fair deal. We want to get to a fair deal, and I think that\u2019s a reasonable ask.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n