Re-opening the stadium site debate

Newly-elected Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina wants to revisit stadium locations, putting Confederation Park on the table. Pan Am Games organizers say it's too late for that, and it would trigger an alternate city being considered. What do you think?

Comments

[Ed2]

One phrase comes to mind with today's proposal; "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round"

No matter how they try and slice it, we the taxpayers paid big bucks to board a venue ride which apparently will end up exactly where it started.

[Bubba1]

Lets see the city takes away any green space and builds the RHV expressway. City is on the hook for millions for future upkeep, flooding in the east end,pollution increase for east end residences, parks closed, taxes increase,new PCB smoke stacks to be built and now this clown of a mayor wants to take more from us by putting a stadium in one of the last green spaces in the east end. But don't worry Bob knows what he is doing keep pumping all the crap on the east end and all the new parks and new roads and anything that increases our enjoyment of life to anywhere but the east end. Plus increase out taxes to make sure Hamilton remains the highest taxed city in Canada. Kids going to school hungry, infrastructure none existent, high taxes, shitty public service, no place for kids to go so they are not committing crimes etc. People wake up we cannot afford to buy Mr Young his FREE STADIUM. If we can get to use money the city got for infrastructure on infrastructure imagine what it would be like lower taxes, clean parks, basement that don't flood maybe something like a prosperous city or something EH. WHAT A PIPE DREAM.

[Brian Hinkley]

Everyone is talking about the location. Wherever this stadium is or is not located doesn't matter. A sufficient outright public contribution is not forthcoming. The only way I can see this thing working financially is for a private profit-making consortium (Tiger-Cats as part of this consortium) to operate the entire complex -stores, hotel, parking and stadium. The shortfall in capital to be made up through a long term repayable public loan. A schedule of repayment to be geared to the profit margins of the consortium to ensure the consortium doesn't lose their shirts or make excessive profits. This will give them the incentive to make money and repay the public loan.

[Enterprise]

oh boy...Confederation Park is not a good idea, but then the Longwood location also appears to be a fiscal disaster unless a lot of private investors come forward. West Harbour was ready to go until Bob Young scuttled that dream. For me, it's still WH or just improve the current stadium.

[P Meyer]

To even consider Confederation Park for a stadium demonstrates a lack of understanding in what it means to build a city that provides a good quality of life for it's citizens. We have a huge waterfront park that should be the envy of cities across the world. Should we ruin it forever by building a concrete colossus that will most likely sit vacant 95% of the time. These structures should be built on brownfield sites or marginal lands, not some of the most valuable parkland in the country. Confederation park should be untouchable in terms of this kind of development - let's leave our children some space to enjoy nature, not slowly replace parkland with pavement!

[Suki Garson]

The voters did not re-elect D'Ianni nor Eisenberger for one main reason - they failed to help Hamilton become the city that it has the potential of being ... Mr. Bratina, after less than one month, you appear to be following the same path. Let's make Hamilton what it can be - please don't follow the path of ruination

[billyb23]

Obviously Bratina does not use Confederation Park or otherwise he would not suggest it as a site for this Stadium. This is a great park used for many Hamiltonians. Leave it alone!!!!

[John]

Bob, put the stadium debate to a vote and get the money quick or else it will drag you down the way it did Fred.
There are large groups of emotionally charged voters opposed to every site and even the stadium itself. Have a vote and while you're at it ask the people what they feel Hamilton's most important issues are. Then take action, it will be a pleasant change.

[Stewart Schneider]

Confederation Park is the best location if we really want the stadium to be a financial success and not a white elephant and a drain on the taxpayers. A Confederation Park location would be highly visible to everyone from the QEW and draw way more people into Hamilton for events than any other location in the city. The QEW is much more heavily travelled than the 403 by Aberdeen. It would also attract more private funding for naming rights etc given its higher visibility (advertisers pay for exposure...the more visible the stadium the more you can get for naming rights). The more people you can attract to the new stadium location...the more successful it will be. The PanAm Games are a 2 week event...you need to fill the stadium with Tiger-Cats football and concerts on a long term basis for it to be successful. Confederation Park is also a much better site for concerts than the other sites...as events can get as loud as they want to in that location...without bothering the neighbours!

[Chris Shaver]

Well, is is too early to start a Mayoral Recall Campaign? I had really hoped that all of this Pan Am Stadium BS was settled BEFORE the election. Bad Bob! Bad, bad, bad, bad Bob!

[Steve Sheen]

I think if a clear decision cant be made the 3 sites East mountain,West harbour and Aberdeen longwood site should just be drawn like a lottery,and may the best place win.That would put an end to any frustrating decision where to build.

[Joseph Parente]

If Hamilton did not have a CFL franchise, what would the purpose of a stadium be? The immediate use would be for the Pan Am Games, and then it would turn into a "white elephant", costing the taxpayers more money, just as Copps Colloseum has!

[Taxpayer]

No, No No stadium!!!
We cannot afford it. Let somebody else bleed to build the damn thing, we just cannot afford it.
Fix the infrastructure first

[Peter G]

Iam not surprised radio man voted for the West site then changed his mind to LONGWOOD now he wants Confederation Park whats next Mayor Bob by the way where is the money coming from for any of the locations?Lets just give the games to Toronto nothing ever gets done here

[ROBERT THOMAS]

NEW FACES SAME BS,REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE BY WAY OF THE LAST GROUP OF IDOTS,
THEN WORRY ABOUT THE PIPE DREAMS OF A NEW STADIUM. THIS CITIES MANAGEMENT TEAM
LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED.
GET THE OPION OF THE TAX PAYER. PUT THE STADIUM TO A PUPLIC VOTE. YOU WILL GET A BIG SURPRISE.

[Jay Berg]

Confederation park is one of the best things Hamilton has going for it. It's a great green space that is available foe everyone to use, regardless of their income. To destroy this wonderful park for a football stadium would be criminal.

[ed]

"Losing the Stadium will be a victory for taxpayers for a change."

yes spending money on a new cityhall, the lister block and expense accounts is a much better thing to do for taxpayers...

[Fielding Melish]

Losing the Stadium will be a victory for taxpayers for a change.

[Dave]

scrap the pan-am games and get on with it already. clearly the ship has left the harbour and hamilton was obviously NOT on board.

NEEEEEEEEXT!

[kevv]

brattina was against the reno at city hall, 80 mil.for nothing more then a few data lines and new toilets...
at least the money used on the stadium is for the enjoyment of the taxpayer, we dont get any money from the feds or province if its not built.which is taxpayers money as well .
so lets just get it rolling.

[Fugetaboutit]

Bob is clueless. He said...” the real deadline for getting a shovel in the ground is April 2012 so there's plenty of time to decide location.”

Great, our new Mayor has no idea how long the design and planning processes take let alone site plan approval time.

I have yet to see a site plan approval come out of the city in less than 8 months.

We will lose the stadium bid. Trust me.

[Maddie]

Anything that would trigger another city being considered is a good thing. Let's throw everything on the table! CP, SJAM, EM, you name it. Sticking another city with this disaster would be the best thing Bratina could do.

[ed]

hmm I don't know what CMA stands for but it should be IDG "I don't get it" The stadium was on everyones mind thats the biggest reason why izzyberger was turfed. Not just because of the location fiasco but we all seen just how disfunctional izzy became. The stadium debate was never closed so not sure what this re-opening statement is all about. We'll decide when we decide and its up to us. Salesmen like Mr Troop can beakoff all he wants but in the end he's just salesman people. Selling games he can put his name on. Believe me, he couldn't care less what happens after the games leave. The fact these games never make money, all he's selling is debt. If Mr Troop is in earshot of this I have a message for him, "just shutup for a while and let the people who will have to pay for this mess make the decisions". Don't worry you'll get to pop champagne on my tab soon enough but for now, quiet please!!!

[robbie]

How could revisiting stadium locations take any more time than finding another host city for the stadium. I would suggest that Hamilton is the only city in Ontario that could use a stadium that the Pan Am folks need.

[Peter Swire, CMA]

It does not take a Phd graduate to notice the winds of change in this past election. The electorate was angry with our politicians for spending so much time on the issue of the Pan Am games site.

The recent Spectator-Nanos poll suggested that the typical Hamiltonian wants better roads, an expressway that does not flood, sewers that do not back up and tangible help for the poor. The matter of the stadium is farther down the list.

A prudent politician would see all of this pent up anger and say lets modernize Ivor Wynne and whatever cash we do not spend and apply the excess on roads, sewers and the poor. We are living in an era of tight budgets. We need to be thrifty.

The notion of of acquiring rail yards and rehabilitating the site before something could be built is mindblowing. First, where are the cost estimates with the contamination. Has anyone asked where will the trains and the related jobs go? Kinnear Yard at Gage Park or out of town? The Confederation Park site would be most accessible to a wider market. Are we building a legacy site for just Hamilton or any person within 100 kms? While the east end site makes some commercial sense if we have a broader vision, it boils down can we afford the cost? Can we afford more silly infighting? This is time to show the rest of the province that Hamilton has true leaders.