Halifax Wanderers Propose $100M Stadium and Community Hub Plan
Halifax Wanderers FC president Derek Martin has proposed a $100 million plan to build a permanent modular stadium at the Wanderers Grounds and a community sports hub at Maybank Field in Dartmouth. The proposal involves a 99-year land-lease agreement with the Halifax Regional Municipality, where the club funds construction and operations in exchange for revenue rights. The stadium would seat 10,500 for sports and 17,500 for concerts, include a 650-vehicle underground parking lot for the QEII Health Sciences Centre, and feature turf fields for community use. Martin aims for completion by 2027 for the hub and 2028 for the stadium, warning that failure to secure approval will force the club to seek alternative locations within HRM.
Halifax Wanderers FC president Derek Martin has put forward a $100 million proposal to construct a permanent modular stadium at the Wanderers Grounds and a community sports hub at Maybank Field in Dartmouth. The plan centers on a 99-year land-lease agreement with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), under which the club would fund both construction and ongoing operations in return for revenue rights.
The financial breakdown estimates the stadium at the Wanderers Grounds to cost $70 million, while the community sports hub at Maybank Field is projected at $30 million. The proposed stadium design features a three-sided modular structure capable of seating 10,500 spectators for sporting events and expanding to 17,500 for concerts. Additionally, the club intends to fund a 650-vehicle underground parking area beneath the stadium to service the nearby QEII Health Sciences Centre.
Martin has requested that the city redirect approximately $5 million currently earmarked for new bleachers to help fund water service infrastructure at the Wanderers Grounds. The proposal also includes facility upgrades for the Halifax Lancers and the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club located on the Wanderers Block. By converting facilities to turf fields, the project projects an estimated 5,000 hours of annual community field time.
If approved, the club aims to complete the Maybank Field hub by 2027 and the permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds by 2028. However, Martin stated that if the project is not approved or decided upon, the club will look for other locations within the Halifax Regional Municipality, effectively ending the current experiment at the Wanderers Grounds.