The tourism minister of Quebec says that it would cost $2 billion to demolish Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. However, people are questioning that estimate due to the fact that other North American cities have torn down stadiums for hundreds of millions of dollars less. Caroline Proulx revealed the estimate while presenting a plan to spend $870 million to replace the stadium’s roof, which is unstable and hazardous. There have been calls to continue maintaining the stadium, despite it being practically unusable during the winter due to the fragility of the roof.
It was reported by Quebec politicians that it would be more reasonable to continue maintaining the stadium—even if its roof has never really worked since it was completed in 1987—than to get rid of the concrete behemoth in the city’s east-end. A 2009 report concluded that the cost of demolition would be approximately $700 million – roughly $965 million when adjusted for inflation – and concluded that the stadium can’t be imploded with explosives, and demolition with a wrecking ball was also ruled out.
The estimate for the stadium demolition includes $158 million for inflation, $168 million for “minimal site restoration”, and $80 million to restore nearby roads after trucks have passed between 20,000 and 30,000 times during the demolition. However, as of now, the justification for the $2 billion estimate was not presented.
The priciest estimated stadium demolition in North America, after Montreal, is in Houston, Texas, where the projected cost has been almost US$80 million to demolish the Astrodome. Community members secured state heritage status for the venue, which was the world’s first domed stadium when it was built in 1965. Now however, community organizations are seeking creative new uses for the structure, rather than opting to demolish it.