British Columbia PremierGordon Campbell says that BC Place will be home to the Vancouver Whitecaps when it enters MLS providing everything works out.
Although the Whitecaps would like a soccer-specific stadium, Campbell says the club is happy to go with the dome arena which will undergo a $458-million upgrade next year but wants to make sure that it is right for the club who will become the 17th franchise when it enters MLS in 2011.
"If [BC Place] works for the Whitecaps, the Whitecaps won't want to move," Campbell said at a Vancouver media event. "If the stadium doesn't work for the Whitecaps, they'll move.
"They would not have been able to get Major League Soccer if they didn't have a home at BC Place," he said. "They have one and we'll see if we can make that home so comfortable for them that they want to stay for a long time."
Whitecaps CEO Paul Barber is confident the BC Place arena will be good for the club as they juggle the temporary move to Empire Fields before setting up shop at the waterfront stadium.
"I think it's going to be a great bowl for soccer -- I really do," Barber said. "I've been in stadiums all over the world for soccer and I get a good feel when I go in there and I think fans will really enjoy it.
"To move to two in 12 months is a hell of a task," Barber added. " ... We don't want to look too far ahead into the future."
