Montreal’s Olympic Stadium’s roof has over 8,000 rips and costs up to $1 million a year to maintain.
But now Montrealers are trading that bill for a new one: The government of Quebec is replacing the decades-old roof to the tune of $200 million.
The project is supposed to take five years to complete.
READ MORE: Montreal’s Olympic Stadium to get new roof for $250M
The news comes after intense lobbying to bring the Expos back.
There was talk of housing the new team at the Olympic Stadium until a new downtown stadium is built.
So can this new roof help the Expos’ cause in the eyes of Major League Baseball?
Sports reporter Jeremy Filosa broke the story about the roof being built, but he says the two stories have no relation.
“If the Expos come back they do need a new stadium,” Filosa said. “It may just assure Major League Baseball that there won’t be an issue with the roof, that it’s not going to cave in or remove it in the middle of the summer. In the grand scheme, it doesn’t change things.”
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Not everybody is convinced that a new roof is a good move for the Expos or for the city.
Expos Nation, a non-profit trying to bring the team back says it’s simply a big waste of money.
“It’s like spending money on a 1984 Chevet, it just doesn’t make sense,” says Expos Nation founder and chairman Matthew Ross.
Ross says the money is best served in a new stadium.
“There’s no question about it. Revitalizing an area downtown that could benefit from a new stadium is just a no-brainer.”
The league told Global News in a statement it “appreciates Montreal’s stated interest and its long and distinguished baseball tradition. The Commissioner’s Office is not issuing any further comment on the City’s efforts to attract a Major League Club.”