York U. a candidate for Pan Am track and field

Pan Am CEO Ian Troop held a teleconference on Thursday, July 29 when he said that while the location of track and field was "not yet set in stone," it was looking more and more likely that a venue in Toronto would be the host.

"I think (York University is) one of a couple of very interesting locations. When we were doing the initial bid work, York wasn't in a position to fully participate because they had the strike, but in my early days on the job they came and said that if something happens, they would want to participate more fully, therefore they are a candidate for track and field," said Troop.

The university is already hosting Pan Am tennis at the Rexall Centre, so being able to transfer security from that venue to the Toronto Track and Field Centre on the northern edge of the campus gives York a leg up. Troop also commented that plans to construct a subway to York would add to its allure.

Convenience isn't the only factor being taken into consideration by the Pan Am 2015 committee. There would also need to be significant alterations made to the athletic facilities, which are currently run by the City of Toronto. Right now, the indoor facilities hold 900 spectators and the outdoor track can fit a maximum of 2,500. A Pan Am venue would need to hold about six times that amount.

"From a facilities standpoint, there would have to be a significant investment in the area to be able to handle it. The existing track would probably end up being a warm-up track and we would have to put facilities in place with stadium seating to handle the Pan Am crowd," said Troop.

A final recommendation for a venue won't be announced by Pan Am 2015 until after its Sept. 30 board meeting.

Representatives from York University were tight-lipped about the situation.

"York University has always said that if there is a solution that we can offer up, we would be very willing to discuss what is possible. In terms of specifics, there is nothing to report here," said Keith Marnoch, associate director of media relations at York.

"We have made ourselves available for whatever might come our way. We would be happy if there was a solution that made sense with York University. I think that would be something we would enter into and look at for sure."