The lower south side stands of Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium are a "high risk" for public occupancy due to deterioration and "distress" in the concrete, according to an engineering report issued Monday.

The manager in charge of city-owned buildings, Barry Robinson, confirmed Monday that the type of structural fractures reported in the document pose a real risk to the public.

The stadium could have collapsed without warning, he said.

His comments came just months after the stands bore the weight of thousands of soccer fans during the FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer games at the stadium.

Robinson said he thinks tearing the stadium down, as recommended by the report, has to be done.

Repairing the stands will cost as much as building a new structure, engineers estimate.

In the meantime, both the stands and the field area beneath them should remain closed, the report recommends.

The stands were closed temporarily as a precaution on Sept. 5 while the city awaited the more detailed report. This came after cracks were found in the concrete during a routine inspection.