The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Whitecaps have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to begin an exclusive negotiation period designed to explore a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park.
The negotiation period established by the MOU runs through to the end of 2026 and gives the city and the Whitecaps time to work constructively on a long-term lease for the land, to design the stadium itself and the surrounding entertainment grounds and to articulate subsequent financial terms.
Mayor Ken Sim and Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster announced the signing at Vancouver City Hall earlier today in front of a large cross-section of sports, city and general media.
Mayor Sim, a self-described lifelong Whitecaps fan, said, “It’s really hard to express in words how much this team means to the City of Vancouver, in fact, the region and the entire province.”
Both parties were quick to point out this is not a completed deal; it is simply the first of many steps towards an actual stadium.
“This is not about the approval of a new project. This MOU is a framework for negotiations and demonstrates a very firm commitment by both the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Whitecaps towards building a new stadium right here in Vancouver,” Mayor Sim said.
What does all this mean?
It has been well known that the Whitecaps desire a home of their own, where they own the building and are able to retain the full financial benefits of it. Currently, the club leases BC Place for their home matches but do not receive the full array of revenue streams that other MLS clubs get from their stadiums.
The MOU ensures the land at Hastings Park remains city property. The established negotiation period gives both parties time to come to an agreement on a long-term lease of that property.
“The MOU, it basically states the city will enter into negotiations,” the mayor said. “So, we’ve identified the site. We will enter into negotiations to get a fair market-value lease. It’s fully up to the Whitecaps and their partners to come up with a plan and finance that plan.”
This means, as of now, the Whitecaps are fully responsible for the financing of the stadium as well as any partners they choose to bring into this project. Any application to the city for financial contribution would require additional city council approval at that time.
The MOU also grandfathers a previous agreement with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to purchase the casino business that is currently at Hastings Park.
In terms of an extended entertainment district, Mayor Sim said, that’s up to the Whitecaps to create the plan.
“It’s really up to the Whitecaps and if they have future partners to come up with a plan that makes sense. And then, they’ll present it to council, and there will be a lot of opportunity to go through a public hearing and make sure it works in the context of the city and the region.”
The accessibility of Hastings Park
While Hastings Park may make the most sense for a new stadium in terms of land, there lies a real issue of getting tens of thousands of people there week in and week out.
The park is located at the northeast edge of Vancouver, north of East Hastings Street and West of the Trans-Canada Highway.
However, Mayor Sim said that the thinking around this project cannot be short-term.
“If you look at that area, we have the amphitheatre going up. Now we have professional women’s hockey there. It’s a nice fit, and when you look out into the future, there will be a future where you have a subway line or a SkyTrain that probably goes up Boundary that connects Richmond to Burnaby and Vancouver and the north shore. So, it’s centrally located, and it’s one of these incredibly underutilized assets that the city has,” he said.
Schuster reiterated the long-term vision for the area and brought up the fact the Whitecaps are also still currently up for sale. He said a stadium project is another asset to entice prospective owners or investors to keep the club in Vancouver.
“If a new investor comes in, a potential new buyer who wants to keep the club here for the next 10, 20, 50, 100 years, they obviously look into what is the setup of the club,” Schuster said.
A plan to match Whitecaps’ ambition
It was a record-breaking season for the Whitecaps. They broke records in total points (63), regular-season wins (18), away wins (8) and goals for (66).
They are also the first MLS team to make the final of every competition they competed in: MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Canadian Championship, which they won.
The goal, Schuster said, is to ensure that Vancouver remains the home where the Whitecaps can continue to be ambitious.
He also said the Whitecaps envision the Vancouver Rise, the NSL professional women’s football club, which shares majority owner Greg Kerfoot, playing in the new stadium as well.
“We are brothers and sisters and have the same father, so of course, they are part of all these discussions and will be part of the planning.”
But with all this, Schuster was quick to point out they are not discussing financial packages or benefits.
“We don’t ask for donations,” he said. “We don’t ask for a sweet deal. We ask for a fair deal. We have all the numbers from all our competitors in our league. We have numbers from other leagues. And we are bringing up here these comparables, and we want to get to a fair deal. And I think that’s a reasonable ask.”
The Whitecaps are currently in their off-season. Stage one of the MLS Re-Entry Process begins today.
The 2026 MLS SuperDraft takes place on Dec. 18.
