Who pays for a $40-million stadium at Wanderers Grounds?

Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin has dreams of a permanent 8,500-seat stadium in Halifax’s downtown. Last week, the Canadian Premier League soccer club founder made his pitch to the HRM’s Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee to overhaul the municipally owned Wanderers Grounds—where his club plays—in favour of an all-purpose venue. The cost? An estimated $40 million, according to Martin.

The Wanderers president has pledged that his club would be prepared to contribute “substantially” to the costs of building such a permanent stadium. To that end, he has also proposed a 30-year tenancy agreement with the HRM to help cover the expenses. He sees the future Wanderers Grounds as a venue that can attract outdoor concerts, host international sports competitions and also be used by Citadel High School’s sports teams.

What does “substantially” mean? And how might a new stadium satisfy the mandate of remaining a public good? In this week’s crossover episode of The Grand Parade and The Wanderer Grounds, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman put their burning questions straight to Wanderers president Derek Martin for answers.