The new home of the Ottawa Redblacks is officially open and ready for football… almost.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson will join Ottawa Sports and Entertainment (OSEG) members to cut the ribbon on the football stadium Wednesday July 9, 2014.

“It’s a great experience, it’s history in the making” beamed Redblacks Linebacker T.J. Hill.

Quarterback Henry Burris knows the team is part of something big “I know it’s going to be pure jubilation and excitement.”

As part of the Grand Opening the more than 16,600 season’s ticket holders will get a sneak peek of the stadium. The fans will have a chance to meet the players, sample some of the concessions, check out their seats and more importantly figure out transportation to TD Place.

Encouraging all fans to take free shuttles to and from TD Place, OSEG President Jeff Hunt says, “This is a chance for season’s ticket holders to figure out how they’re going to get to the games on a regular basis”

Hunt says it’s a dry-run for the home opener on Friday July, 18, 2014 “to test our infrastructure, see what’s working, what work do we have left to do between now and the 18th.”

Hunt says on the 18th everything will be ready “all the concessions will be open, all the washrooms will be working, all the seats will be installed, the video wall be open, the audio systems will be working and the lights are on.”

With the Redblacks home kickoff just nine days away Hunt says he’s nervous, but most of all excited to be part of something so historic for Ottawa “to think about the last seven years and the hurdles and the process we had to go through I can tell you we’re very, very glad we stayed the course because it’s going to be worth it.”

The RedBlacks will play their first home game against the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place on July 18th.