[SteelTown]

Bratina takes a hit from his own BIA

ANDREW DRESCHEL

Almost four hours into the great stadium debate, I swear I felt a huge gust of air rush through the council chambers over and above the usual currents of windbaggery.

I think it was the wind being taken out of Councillor Bob Bratina’s sails.

It must have been released when the downtown councillor’s objections to building the new stadium in the west harbour were neatly punctured by the head of the downtown BIA.

Let me back up.

I knew from the get-go Bratina was on a mission yesterday when, moments after I walked into the room, he came over to give me his take on the stadium site.

“This is a grandiose scheme to create a waterfront empire,” he said.

Unfortunately, as intriguing as that assertion was, Bratina declined to elaborate on who he thinks is behind said empire building scheme.

As the meeting got under way, it soon became clear he had decided to focus his objections to the stadium on the proposal to build a commercial district around it.

Bratina suggested the so-called “development precinct” would have a negative impact on the downtown by siphoning away retail and hospitality business.

None of the stadium financing is predicated on establishing a commercial zone around the new facility. But the Deloitte business plan sees the idea as an opportunity to bring additional dollars to the area and generate up to $750,000 annually in new property taxes for the city.

Deloitte spokesman Ron Bidulka told councillors the precinct should consist of 150,000 to 200,000 square feet of commercial space near the stadium, comprising retail stores, restaurants, pubs and cafés.

“It’s a concept that will allow (stadium customers) to come earlier and stay later,” he said.

Bratina at first dismissed the idea, noting in his travels he’s never come across a stadium that generated that kind of adjoining development.

“Ivor Wynne in 80 years didn’t generate a variety store.”

But Bratina steered a different course after the consultant pointed out that spinoff commercial developments are part of the stadium-building mix in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Regina.

Arguing a new commercial district “can’t possibly have a positive effect on the old commercial zone,” Bratina said the stadium should be built in the
downtown where it would have a direct impact on helping the core.

“We need to build that core; this isn’t going to help build that core.”

Somewhat embarrassingly, his objections took a beating when Kathy Drewitt, executive director of the Downtown BIA, gave a ringing endorsement to the west harbour site.

Drewitt said the stadium will provide an “excellent bridge” between the waterfront and the downtown. She said it will enhance the core as a destination and provide positive spinoffs to businesses there.

Drewitt went on to say the BIA board thinks a commercial zone around the stadium will also help the core by creating a “wider downtown precinct.”

Only time will tell who is right, of course. But speaking against major redevelopment projects in his own ward is becoming something of a defining characteristic of Bratina’s time on council.

After all, before opposing the stadium, Bratina came out against the Lister Block deal and renovating City Hall. He even raised objections to turning the Royal Connaught Hotel into mixed housing.

Make of that what you will, but at least nobody can accuse him of blind ward heeling.