Maple Leaf Gardens a supermarket?

TORONTO - Loblaw Cos. Ltd.and Ryerson University confirm they are in talks to jointly develop Maple Leaf Gardens as a supermarket and student athletic centre.

The proposal could partly preserve the iconic building's original purpose as a hockey arena. Sources tell the Toronto Star the discussions are "at a delicate stage" and the proposal still faces hurdles.

Any plan that includes an arena would need the approval of the Gardens' previous owners, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.

Maple Leaf Sports made it a condition of the sale in 2004 that Loblaw would not host large sporting events or concerts in competition with its Air Canada Centre, home to the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.

Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Sports, says a varsity hockey team that plays to relatively small crowds could escape those restrictions.