Revisiting the stadium question one more time

What do you think of council's decision to have one more meeting on the harbour location, as reported by The Spec's Andrew Dreschel today?

Comments

[Mrs. C.Bakker]

We do not need an stadium.this is not a necessary when so many people have no money to go to one.Fix the roads instead of an stadium.

[Gary]

Hello........i;m a Liberal but being mentally challenged, I know nothing about politics because as a Liberal people should feel sorry for me as I think all the other Retarded people in this Province should vote Liberal as I hear that they will provide Bibs for my drool and make sure thety will have a ramp for my special Liberal bus.

[T. Lazich]

The Waterfront is the best choice with the least amount of residential density an Ideal location for rock concerts. YES Concerts not a money losing Football team subsidized by Hamilton Taxpayers! I am sure the residents of Camelot Towers would love the music ! I can only imagine the off ramps dangerous backlog trying to get onto Aberdeen to park at the Stadium. Mr. Young should seriously consider moving to another City! If you can't pay the rent why should we ?

[Cellardweller]

I don't suppose cold fact will sway anybody in this debate, but the New York Times has a sobering report today about stadiums all over the US that have lived out their useful lives, been torn down, and are still being paid for. The article points out the lunacy of local governments caving in to well-heeled sports owners who threaten to pull their team out if they are not given new arena/luxury boxes/parking lots. Yes, Hamilton, it has happened before in other places. Hamilton is not a special case, and Bob Young isn't uniquely greedy. He's just following a well-tested formula for offloading expenses onto the taxpayer and keeping profits for himself.

You can read the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/sports/08stadium.html?_r=1&hp

[neely]

Maybe the should take Mayor Fred vote away from him all he seems to care about is the W.H and nothing eles.

[john a. slomka]

This process for the stadium has been very divisive for the city, I'm going to vote for Glenn Hamilton for Mayor because he is a consensus builder. Not a city destroyer as this council has proven to be. hamiltonforhamilton.com

[Concerned Resident]

City council and the Ticats have reached a point where sound reasoning has been abandoned in favour of getting a stadium at all costs. The risks of making a error in judgement have never been greater. The proposal to consider the Longwood site makes no sense when you consider the City's long-term interest. McMaster University would be doing Hamilton a great service by refusing to cooperate with this scheme. Losing the PanAm games altogether and the Ticats would be better than choosing this alternative. Furthermore, if the City owns additional lands that can be sold or given to the University they should do so as soon as possible. McMaster's continuing growth within the city limits trumps all other projects by a mile.

[Nelson Phillips]

Council has been having meetings on the Stadium location since 1970 and I hear they want to have one more!!!!??? Just shows you that Hamilton City Council still doesn't know how do things properly. Now they are talking about Confederation Park....... that was part of the discussion in 1970. In 1970 that discussion died..... let it rest in peace!! A better location have been suggested, on the East Mountain, and rejected. Let it die too!! Go ahead Hamilton, you have an election coming up soon and let the present City Council R.I.P. with their past decisions and elect only people who can see a future in Hamilton, not based just on the PanAm games. A new Stadium lasting 50 years will be a great memory, not the Games, that lasted only a weekend or two. Hamilton, move on and build a Stadium where the future of Hamilton will continue with the HAMILTON TIGER CATS, not die with the PanAm games.

[Arthur Vander Schenk]

Maybe if the Sustainable Development crowd at City Hall got their heads better wrapped around this and similar unintended consequences there would not have been such a dramatic reaction to the car issues surrounding the WH site? Lets all assume, shall we, that cars will be in use for many years to come. They will continue to improve and to be essential for the majority. It was always the height of planning arrogance to underserve the WH plan for parking in the first place. Try digging a little deeper for a parking lot or maybe covering that ugly rail switching yard with a suitable parking roof. Make it Green! Full cars park cheap! Whatever. Use some real imagination between now and when its too late and be more inclusive of people's real needs. Sustainable development thinking should make good sense, not foolishly impose uncertain priorities. Who voted for these guys anyway?

[George]

Put the velodrome/amphitheater at the harbour, although they nor a stadium will do anything for development. But the ambience of it fits; unlike the stadium. What we really need at the west harbour are homes, expensive homes.
The stadium definitely belongs at Confederation Park. It provides exposure and has transit access. The east mountain is a poor second.

[Pat B]

The Full price Tag of the East mountain or any other site mentioned is far higher than the costs floated about. So to say the WH site is wrong due to that is playing the "misinformation game" I am totally sick and tired of these councilors. Finally made a gutsy decision on WH and then once again wimped out. What a bunch of Idiots... I truly mean this. Idiots. And they should pay for this at the polls in The fall. It is inexcusable to drag this on as they did 6 weeks ago, then make the vote, the second vote for it, then turn around and open the debate up yet again. The Stadium is for the city, not the Tiger-Cats whom I was a fan of for 40 years before this situation. Now... The councilors whom people have been ridiculing for years screw it up. I now have become another citizen who has no faith at all in our elected local folks. Makes me wish we had provincial management instead of city Politicians

[Ed2]

The fact it will be a small 'open-concept' stadium for dedicated use dooms it right from the start.

Maybe we could have Council increase parking tickets and red-light-camera convictions to fund it, as they seem to know how to quickly decide upon those aspects of Hamilton life.

[Jay berg]

The W.H., E. Mountain, or Aberdeen as long as the stadium isn't built at Confederation Park. This park is one of the best things Hamilton has ever done. It is enjoyed by walkers,cyclists, bladers and runners of all ages. Confederation Park is doing its part in keeping Hamilton fit. Please don't ruin a great place by sticking a stadium down there

[Frankie]

There is one large item the council have not released information about.Have a full range of tests been carried out to find the FULL cost of getting the W.H. site cleaned up before any building work could be started? We could be talking Millions & Millions,lets get those answers first.As usual, put the cart before the horse.Typical Hamilton.

[ed 7]

As a WH resident I'm telling ya that an amphitheatre is far more in keeping than:

a) stadium
b) Katz Group proposal - and...whose $$$ do they want to build their atrocities? That precious $ 110 million - have a look at their blogspot- you'll see!

[ed]

After years of inept councils, blatant disregard for the harbour and a complete mismanagement of the area the mayor sees this as a chance to use other peoples money to fix our own incompetence. Thats the biggest single reason for the harbour vote. Not one study we paid for noted the harbour as the top spot, here we go blind again.

[Peter]

ST...I have no doubt people who take cabs favour West Harbour. As someone with a vehicle that would have to drive to see a game, I definitely do not want to go to a game hours early and battle traffic, along with the inevitable traffic jams trying to leave the game at a West Harbour location. Been there, done that at Ivor Wynne and hate it. WH would be a lot worse! I am sure I speak for many other drivers and commuters who would like to attend a TiCat Game. Mayor Fred has got to get his head out of his proverbial you know what out and listen to a businessman, and not the whiney vocal minority. I am sick and tired of the idiotic so called leadership of City Council. As it now turns out, small business has spoken and said Hamilton is not a good place to do business and a huge part of the reason is inept city leadership. I guess we are all part of the blame because we elect these morons to represent us, thinking they will do a good job running this city. What a joke City Council has been and is. Build the stadium at Confederation Park and an Ampitheatre at West Harbour. Both needs are satisfied and everyone would be happy. But not Mayor Freddy. He marches to the beat of blatant ignorance and stupidity. He fails to see the other point of view. Also, he fails to disclose pertinent information - the phone call - which I am sure would have swayed more votes to the opposite side; a side Freddy does not endorse. No wonder he kept it quiet. This alone should be reason enough to get him out of office. The battle has turned personal for him and he fails to see anything except what he wants to see now. He is not business savvy which is required these days to attract business and young professionals to a city. I hope City Council wakes up and realizes that they have made a mistake, and that they will correct it. I hote voters in the city start to vote with their heads and get rid of many on City Council.

[sam]

Good one. Let's see...the majority wants it in the WH. The decision was made by an elected council. Boob Young and Not Mitchell whine, cry, throw tantrums, give ultimatums and threaten to take their ball and run. Council then back tracks on what they decided and the majority clearly wants and then some councillors do an about face and try and soothe the little babies. Have I got this correct? Well, those in the minority threatened not to vote for these people that made that decision originally...now its the majority that wanted that site that will not vote for them. Good math, city council. Perhaps it is true that if you can't do simple math and stick to your decisions as an elected official, then you don't deserve to be in a position of leading...As for the Tiger Cats....I have been a long time fan for fifty years as a little boy, however that stopped the day they put a gun to our face and still had the audacity to say they were the "good guys" in this.

Not one cent that I personally have control over will go towards anything that they do. I will make it my mission to talk as many people in to the same thing.

We all lose...

[Dale]

RE: st--the taxi driver
#1 your customers don't drive so there for they stay close to their community. But that being said there are probably thousands of Hamiltonian's that can actually say that they have never been in every ward of our city.The city is forcing us to the downtown core for hockey/concerts, revenue Canada or to get a health card But to visit any of the other wards it's voluntary or work related. It is time that the city (council) and it's citizens use the amalgamated City of Hamilton to it's fullest making us utilize all corners of Hamilton

[Concerned Resident]

I am shocked that this stadium debate has continued despite the councils latest decision to re-affirm the west harbour site. It is unfair of the provincial government to call the mayor at the eleventh hour and hold out vague promises in order to sway the direction of the council vote.

Throughout this process neither the TICATS nor the provincial/federal governments have set firm financial conditions upon which our local government could make an informed decsion. Council has been asked to subsidize (using our tax money) a private enterprise without any firm assurances from government for funding of other high priority city projects.

Private interests, federal and provincial governments appear to have steadily been working behind the scenes to undermine council and by extension Hamiltonian's democratic rights. The entire stadium selections process has been a sham purpetrated on the Hamilton people by the higher levels of government and private interests.

If the TICATS truly need this level of subsidy to survive perhaps it would be best for the franchise to close or leave the city.

[Concerned Resident]

I having been following the developments very closely and I do not beleive that council should orverturn its position. If a stadium is to be built using public funds the original rationale for selecting the west harbour stadium site is still valid.

I do beleive that if the provincial government wishes to subsidize a private company (TICATS) then the city should not contribute any funds to the project and the province should select and fund the site that it wishes. Hamilton taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize a private company. In this case the legacy funds can be used for true city building projects.

Furthermore, I beleive that all levels of government need to closely analyze the need and justificatin for public funding of the CFL. As a life-long Hamiltonian I do not feel that the TICATS do not contribute materially to the local economy to the extent that ratepayer investments can be justified. If necessary we need to say good-bye to the TICATS and seek out more relevant public investments that will yeild better returns in todays technology driven world.

[Kevin]

ST.
I am also a cab driver for the city and had lots of customers comment on this issue, Many support east mountain and don't want the meter running up their hard earned dollars sitting in heavy traffic before and after games around stadium. And as far as people knowing where the east mountain site is Im sure Bob Young will let everyone know what time the game is and where the seats are , And Yes this needs to be hashed out once and for all should kick freddy out of talks if he dont want to play fair. Keep the Cats Clean up WH Get the games and lets get this city on track again, We can do this .

[st]

I have no idea as to why call or agree to another meeting in regards to the placement of the Pan Am stadium.Maybe it's another try to see if the tiger cats will stay and play there at the west harbour.I was driving my cab the other day and a customer and i were chatting about the west harbour and east mountain site the possibility thereof,and i had mentioned to him that there was an arena on the east mountain the mountain brow,and he said with a question,there is? where? And this has been my outlook of building the stadium on the east mountain,being hid up there in a corner and not been seen by most hamiltonians,i would think the tiger cats want to be known,not forgotten because theres no notoriety within the city,thus being in the city and physically present in an outstanding way with a new stadium at the west harbour.I just want to say as a cab driver in Hamilton the many conversations customers and i have had about the stadium debate i haven't heard one person backing the east mountain.It's always been the west harbour as the favourite.

[ed]

Oh My God!! lmao..maybe we should get the integrity commisioner involved this time. He seems to be sitting around on my tab refusing work. As for Chris Murray, he says we got 50 million to spend on something, once we lose all of this watch how fast he goes back to saying we have no money, lol..that guy has less than zero credibility.