Stadium debate centre stage again

The Hamilton Tiger-Cat plan to develop a hotel and commercial complex adjacent to the Longwood stadium site has re-ignited the debate. The project is still more than $50 million short. Councillor Sam Merulla will introduce a motion to scrap the plan as unaffordable and go back to the Ivor Wynne option, upgrading the stadium for about $20 million over several years. Others see the new stadium plan as an economic boost for a city that needs one. What do you think?

Comments

[greenspace]

is anybody really thinking of the future. Confederation is the key to growth here and positive for the young ones in our city. Don't throw it away and do the right thing and vote confederation in. Stadium at confederation, store front, water taxis to Toronto and back, entertainment, etc...There is potential.

[mister doobulous]

It would certainly be a good first step to look at the financial building blocks, with all funding supports for the newly proposed location. Up to this point the proponents appear to be shovelling smoke.

[Ed2]

I still believe the figures and estimate will look pale compared to the actual cost. As currently viewed by other government projects we must multiply the stated cost by at least a factor of 10.

Once signed and construction can begin I believe we will hear the wails of; "We did not foresee complications and now the cost overrun must begin."

So as those in the decision making process move through this deal I feel that a entertainment stage should be placed at the site and we can be entertained nightly by those in top hats and canes dancing across the stage in a chorus line dressed in $100 bills.

We need employment on a large scale but not a huge residual bill.

[Ted]

I'm so sick to my stomach about what might happen to my Ticats. 2 years later and we are going to lose the PAM AM Games, A new Stadium, 100 Mil federal money, and the Ticats!! For what, a park that's losing millions each year?? This smells of back door dealings!!! And now I heard that the Bull-Dogs will be gone to quebec becuase of a new arena being built there. Ok Hamilton, this is what you will have in two years NO PAM-AM Games, NO TICATS , NO BULL-DOGS....NOTHING BUT GREEN SPACE!!!

[MIKE]

ATTENTION CITY COUNCILLORS OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO AND YOUR INEPT DECISION MAKING ABOUT THE PAN AM STADIUM..

....HERES SOME FREE MONEY HAMILTON, GO BUILD YOURSELVES A BRAND NEW STADIUM, ANYWHERE YOU WANT, AS LONG AS WE GET YOUR DECISION IN A COUPLE OF YEARS....WHAT, 2 YEARS GONE??..STILL NO DECISION, WE'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER 6 MONTHS....WHAT???.STILL NO DECISION...WHATS THE HOLD UP??...COUNCIL NEEDS MORE INFORMATION OF AVAILABLE SITES....SAME RESPONSE 6 MORE MONTHS LATER, NEED MORE INFORMATION.
YOU SHOULD ALL RESIGN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MAYOR, WHO HAS COME IN AND TRIED TO SAVE THIS FIASCO. HOW MANY OF YOU SO-CALLED COUNCILORS WHO OPPOSED CONFEDERATION PARK AS THE SITE, ACTUALLY OWN A PAID( NOT YOUR FREEBIE,PERK) MEMBERSHIP TO THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITY, FOR USE OF THAT PARK. HOW MANY TIMES IN THE LAST 5 YEARS, HAVE ANY ON YOU EVER USED THE CAMPING???...OF COURSE ITS GREEN SPACE, ITS ALL GRASS...NO ONE EVER GOES THERE...SO AS YOU FINISH READING THIS...SCREW CHRISTMAS!!...AT LEAST IN HAMILTON....HAVE A MERRY ARGO CHRISTMAS

[Nelson Phillips]

Did I hear it right.......... all the way out here in Calgary, The City of Hamilton is discussing the Stadium.....again! Is it true, now.......... you want to use the Confederation Park site. It seems some, 40 years ago, this month, 3 young Hamiltonians(Donald, Ziggy & Nelson) tried to convince the City of Hamilton that there is ONLY one site for any kind of Stadium development and that was located at Confederation Park. How much time & money have Hamiltonians wasted, in 40 years!!

[Garry]

There is NO WAY I want to see my tax dollars go into refurbishing Ivor Wynn. Merulla always brings the wrong idea to the table.

[Gubs]

Hamilton is quickly becoming the laughing stock of Canada. I was hoping once you kicked out Fred...City council would see the light? Hamilton is only known for two things...Steel and the Ticaats...oh ya...Fred lost the steel part...just close Hamilton. plowit under and let Toronto expand...

[Paul]

Time to move on!!! The last comment is one week old!

[Heinz Held]

Merulla seems to be the only one on council that has the intestinal fortitude to call a spade a spade.
We "CANNOT" afford this white elephant! Let the Ticats pay for their own stadium.

[Mac Grad]

The Pan Am Games is one of the ONLY opportunities for us to get a new stadium with support from the Province and the Federal Government. Just look how Quebec City and Edmonton were "turned down" for their requests. Tha Pan Am Games are a "point of leverage". We MUST ACT to get the stadium during these games or we will be stuck with what we have - the laughing stock of "pro" stadiums! The CP Site is great. Act NOW!!

[rob]

Why is this city in the stadium owning business? The city should sell the rights to the highest paying bidding corporation, just like the Rogers Center or any other stadium and let them worry where to put the stadium. Save tax payer money, and in the process of selling the rights to the stadium, make money for the city.

[William Thompson]

The games are a complete waste of money. Tell PamAm games to go find another sucker to waste there money. As for the T-Cats if they leave Oh well.

[Ed2]

I would agree if the stadium had a fixed cost but it won't. The final cost will haunt us for years to come.

The first issue is to have the contracts signed and any cost overruns would be borne by the contractors who misplaced or misjudged the actual bid. That would end the conversation quickly.

[Martha P]

Kevv ~ I could not agree more...There are people who's homes flood every time it rains...the Red Hill too.

Hamilton has an 18.1% of it's people who are at or below the poverty level. Many of those are either children or the elderly. A new stadium will not feed nor house them. And it is doubtful that any of THEM will ever have enough money to go to a game at the new Stadium.

That money could be better spent taking care of what Hamilton has NOW...We have far more pressing issues in Hamilton that are not being met. We do not need to spend that money on games.

Edward Abby said;

"Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell."

Perhaps we should slow down Hamilton's growth and get a handle on our myriad of existing problems before we tackle new ones...

[Devin]

What is the point of upgrading Ivor Wynne? We already tried that with City Hall and it looks as ugly as it did 30 years ago.

[Mac Grad]

The stadium is now heading in the right direction. It is GREAT that we are focusing on the CP Yards. This whole area is a disgusting MESS! Just think though: In a few years, a New Stadium and the McMaster Innovation Park - living alongside each other and the whole area being re-born. The hotel and housing is an added bonus. (I would even go for some more houseing there!) Let's not forget that the OLD Ivor Wynne Stadium property will now also be ready to be fixed up and the land properly handled there. Similarily, Confederation Park looking beautiful and green for years to come! This is a WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN!!

[J]

Sam Merulla is a typical Hamilton Loser...a no vision politician representing a Ward that swims in it's own filth

[John]

Burlington has no Tiger Cats, no Bulldog either. Burlington has a great accessible waterfront. It is clean. The taxes are low. Most people in Burlington think it is a great city. Perhaps Hamilton could learn something from that. Stop trying to sugar coat turd and actually clean up the turd.

[Ryan]

Merulla is out of his mind!
$20 million over several years (20 years as he's stated before) will not be sufficient to bring Ivor Wynne up to standards.
20 years from now, after we spent $20 million, we'll be right back at square one and needing to sink more money into it.
Merulla also complains about subsidizing the stadium, and this will continue to happen if a new stadium isn't built.

Merulla just likes to take the opposition of every issue so at the end, he can be the one of the only councilors that "disagreed" with the one decision and become some sort of a hero!

[ed]

"lemmings?"

The only lemmings are us collectively. We had no problem throwing $100 million at cityhall and Lister block so politicians could feel important. Both of those places have nothing to do with us, infact if you ever have to go there it'll be to pay only.
For some bizzare reason here we have a chance to build something thats for us, for us to use and enjoy, something that will be a sense of national pride and yet we're bitchin about it. For all the expenses and so on we pay to have a bunch of jerks sit around cityhall and lister you'd think people would've had enough and demanded something be errected for the good folks of hamtown. People are really hard to figure out.

[Enterprise]

I'm all for the stadium if the Ticats or Mayor Bratina come up with private investors$ for this project. Lots of it. The Future Fund money goes to the stadium project only if it goes back to west harbour.

I don't 'see' the Longwood site as workable for many many reasons, but my tax liability is my main objection.

[Dave]

dead horse...(kick here)

[Steve W]

Cities also need to move forward. We need investment, upgrading, and yes a reason for people and their money to come visit us. Just think of the lost infrastructure cash, lost employment for the builders, lost potential for our steel companies, lost tourism dollars and the list goes on. Councils decision is far more important than many think. What has Hamilton got left? Without the Tiger-Cats, you lose all that free national exposure as well. Yes we have great Health and Research Facilities and Arts, but its the sporting events really get our city exposure. Yes we need to help others too, but the city must continually improve and change to move to the future. To turnaround on this now I think is a big step in the wrong direction.

[kevv]

Merulla is a moron,he wants to spend 20 mil. on a rusted out stadium..
he does get votes from the people who charge for parking on their lawns in his ward...he'd probally get voted out if its torn down and he's affraid of that

[Peter Swire, CMA]

Why are our elected politicians going over a cliff like lemmings on the stadium issue?

The Council seem so singlely focussed on constructing a stadium on a polluted yet operational railyard at all costs. Have they considered the cost to do the environmental studies let alone the cost of remediation? Did they consider the impact on congestion backed up on the 403 on Game Day?

They ignore the issue of Hamilton's esteemed national standing in poverty, health and child hunger. What about the issue of the City installed lead pipes to 50,000 lower city homes which at a stroke of a pen say that it is now a home owners responsibility to change out to protect their health. We have 900 people from Local 1005 hitting the bricks to protect their pension rights.

The Spectator commissioned a poll in which local residents say address the issues that matter and not the stadium.

If the politicians are listening, make some refinements to Ivor Wynne and work on our people. Forget the Pan Am games.

[ed]

If we debate it for another 10 yrs, I predict Merulla will self destruct much to the delight of everyone in the city except Melvin Towers where he gets all his votes.