Article content

What the hill?

The steep grass area just past the west end-zone of the football field at TD Place stadium was gone Thursday.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Redblacks add ‘experience zone’ to TD Place Back to video

Randy Burgess, vice-president of communications and fan experience for Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group, said it would be replaced by a new fan “experience zone” adding 100-150 spots to the 24,000-seat capacity of the stadium.

Besides high-top tables on a platform slightly above ground level, the new area will include a middle layer of display space and a drink rail beside the nearby walkway, similar to one outside the east end-zone. Access will require game tickets specifically for that area.

The grass hill could never have been safely used for fan seating because of its severe pitch, Burgess said.

It might be possible to put some temporary seating in the “experience zone” in the likely event Ottawa is awarded the right to play host to the 2017 Grey Cup game by the Canadian Football League, but Burgess said Thursday “it’s not the same as it is in the east end. You can go as high as you want in the east end, not in the west.”