The upper bleachers of Richardson Stadium have been deemed unsafe according to an engineering report recently received by Queen’s University and will be removed.

The report, by Roney Engineering, recommends that the upper east and west bleachers at the 42-year-old stadium be removed.

The remainder of the seats and the field itself have been approved for use, a release from the university said.

The removal of the bleachers will mean that the seating will be 3,700, down from just over 10,000.

“The safety of our fans and all users of Richardson Stadium is of upmost importance to us,” Ann Browne, associate vice-principal facilities, said. “As soon as we received the report from Roney Engineering recommending that the upper east and west bleachers should not be used, we immediately began planning for their removal and researching options to bring the number of seats back to the 10,000-seat capacity.”

The release said the stadium will be back at capacity in time for the regular football season and for Homecoming. The Golden Gaels’ first home game of the regular season is currently scheduled for Labour Day, Monday Sept. 2, when they are to host McMaster.

Closer on the radar, however, is the international rugby match between Team Canada and Tonga set for June 8, as well as others using the facility this summer.

“We will work proactively with any group utilizing the stadium this summer to find a way to best meet their needs while ensuring the safety of the stadium patrons,” said Leslie dal Cin, director of athletics. “Dialogue with Rugby Canada is underway with regard to the June 8 event.”

Details on plans for additional seating will be determined over the course of the next few weeks, the release said.

The release from the university said it has been planning to renovate Richardson Stadium and has been investigating a number of options to meet the needs of its athletic programs.

Since 2008 the university has conducted a structural/condition study of all of the stadium bleachers leading to the creation of a five-year maintenance plan to continue to maintain the stands in a safe and usable condition.

Additional structural reviews of the bleachers were undertaken over the five-year period as required and specifically during the 2009 Vanier Cup run when the stadium was filled to capacity on a regular basis.

— The Whig-Standard