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Old Posted Jun 6, 2011, 12:57 PM
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Have your say on new Halifax stadium
Stadium has to be multi-purpose facility, several councillors and mayor say
Women’s World Cup of Soccer 2015 host announcement expected in early 2012


Mayor Peter Kelly wants residents to “bring their voice” to tonight’s open house.

Feedback wanted
Public open houses run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Tonight: Maritime Hall, Halifax Forum.
Wednesday: Cole Harbour Place.
Thursday: Lion’s Den, LeBrun Recreation Centre.

JENNIFER TAPLIN
METRO HALIFAX
Published: June 06, 2011 12:35 a.m.
Last modified: June 06, 2011 7:54 a.m.

For the first time, HRM residents will weigh in on a proposed outdoor stadium.

But Coun. Sue Uteck said she only expects to see special-interest groups during an open house tonight.

“Hopefully we’ve done enough PR so people know the meetings are happening, but it’s going to be vested interests that are going to be coming,” she said. “I won’t expect any new players on the scene.”

Feedback on the stadium differs community to community. People in Dartmouth would no doubt love to see a new stadium appear on the Shannon Park lands, but South-enders in Uteck’s riding aren’t so enthusiastic.

“You get a lot of, ‘We can’t afford a new stadium, fix up Saint Mary’s.’ So that’s the feedback I’m getting,” she said.

Council commissioned a business case for a new stadium because Halifax is in the running as a host city for the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in 2014 and the Women’s World Cup of Soccer in 2015. The business case report should be finished this summer.

“At the moment with all the things that we owe, I don’t think we’ll get into it unless we get a lot of private money,” said Coun. Jerry Blumenthal.

“There are a lot of people who want a stadium and there are a lot of naysayers who don’t want anything — a stadium, a convention centre or anything.”