The ball is up in the air over the proposed waterfront soccer stadium.

At an open house in the old Woodward's building yesterday, opinions were split on the 15,000-seat stadium proposal.

The privately funded Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium, which could cost up to $70 million, would be built over the CPR rail yards east of Canada Place by mid-2009.

The outdoor arena would be home to the Vancouver Whitecaps men's and women's teams and it would host concerts.

Critics cited noise and traffic problems, and doubted whether waterfront land is the best place for a sports stadium.

"How many stadiums do we need?" said Vincent Fodera, who runs a downtown backpacker hostel. "It looks like a square box sitting on top of a rail car."

"There'll be rock concerts there, it won't always be the Vancouver Symphony," said Don Larson of the Crab Park Society, which champions the public park several blocks from the stadium.

Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot owns the 10.5-hectare site, two-fifths of which will be taken up by the stadium, and three-fifths of undeveloped waterfront land.

"[The stadium] is a wedge to develop the rest of the lands," said Stephanie Smith of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association, also a local resident.

"The [Whitecaps] are not talking about the plans for the rest of the lands."

Smith said she's worried about the prospect of thousands of drunken fans disrupting the neighbourhood, making noise and hassling local residents.

Whitecaps president John Rocha said supporters like the transit-friendly location and the creative use of the land.

"Nobody gets displaced. It gets built over railroad tracks," he said.

Rocha said he's building support from Gastown merchants and has met with a coalition of Downtown Eastside groups recently.

"We think we can build this as a true community asset, that would fit well with all the neighbourhoods in our area," he said.

About 10,000 people have signed up for priority-purchase rights to stadium events, and deposits are placed on 40 suites.

In a Mustel poll in October, 71 per cent of people approved it and 15 per cent were opposed.

Consultants are reviewing the idea and their report goes to city council in May.

It's up to council whether a rezoning application can go ahead.

The remaining open houses this week are today at the Storyeum in Gastown, tomorrow at Simon Fraser University's Harbour Centre campus and next Saturday at the Vancouver Public Library.

© The Vancouver Province 2006