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Originally Posted by thistleclub
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Guess CF had a change of heart.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-stor...e-ridge-arena/
Hamilton Bulldogs' owner Michael Andlauer has long said he's eager to see a new arena built in town and is willing to pour millions of his own dollars into such a project to make it happen.
He's now upped the ante.
Next Wednesday, the city's General Issues Committee will review a firm proposal he's put forward — with Cadillac Fairview as a partner — to make that happen. But not downtown, where the city clearly prefers.
"It's safe to say it's going to be at Lime Ridge Mall," he says.
If he can get council's support, yes.
He wouldn't go into detail about the plans but hinted at putting the rink where Sears used to be. There would be highway access off The Linc, tons of parking and access to the mall (which is owned by Cadillac Fairview) for people to eat or shop before or after games, concerts and other events.
Lending some weight in this latest push is an independent report commissioned by the city that says Hamilton would save millions of dollars by tearing down FirstOntario Centre and building a new 10,000-seat arena with help from the private sector rather than fixing and maintaining the current building.
"A 'rightsized' facility with a 10,000 capacity would best serve the Hamilton market's demand from a capacity and programming perspective," says the Ernst and Young report that will be presented at the same GIC meeting next Wednesday.
While construction would cost millions up front — the total cost for a new arena and convention centre could be $125 million, with up to $40 million of that coming from the private sector — going with new facility rather than maintaining the current, aging building could be worth as much as $26.2 million in savings to the city over 30 years.
Ernst and Young says the current arena is too large for this market. Last year only 13 of 98 events used the upper bowl and that was considered a good year. The average attendance for concerts was 9,140.
Building a new facility with modern amenities could attract more concerts and events. Plus, the report says it could bump up Bulldogs attendance by 20-50 per cent. More tickets and more events mean more people in the area which means spinoff benefits for local businesses.
Concerns that a smaller building would cut Hamilton off from bigger stars — Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, BTS and others — are unwarranted, city senior development consultant Ryan McHugh says. Global Spectrum, which manages the arena, also does bookings for Tim Hortons Field. If a huge act was coming to the area, its show could be held at the football stadium as long as it didn't conflict with the Tiger-Cats' schedule.
"We'll still get big shows," Glen Norton, the city's head of economic development, says.
Ultimately, this will come down to dollars and cents. The city has been looking for a solution that won't cost the taxpayers a dime. The report offers no such solution. Not an obvious one, anyway. Instead, Ernst and Young considered three options.
The city could maintain the status quo and simply fix what needs to be fixed to keep the place operating and safe. That would cost the city $42.3 million over the next five years and $75.6 million long term.
"Finally," Andlauer says, "I think people are realizing it's going to cost taxpayers a lot of money if we don't do something."
Option No. 2 is a retrofit of the existing building. That was rejected.
That leaves Option 3. A new building which the report says would reduce the overall cost to the city considerably. The authors recommend that choice.
The proposed plan goes like this. Relocate the arena somewhere else in the downtown. Preferably nearby. A new convention centre would be built on the then-abandoned site at the corner of York and Bay streets. Norton says that could include a hotel and revenue-generating retail outlets.
"It has to have other things to make it work," Norton says.
The site of the current convention centre would then be sold with the proceeds landing in city coffers. Meanwhile, FirstOntario Concert Hall — formerly Hamilton Place — would stay where it is with $8 million in upgrades to bring it to modern standards.
You'll notice the constant references to the downtown. That's by design. Norton says all the numbers and all the calculations are based on a downtown facility. Ernst and Young's mandate was to consider a downtown project only. If consideration was given to moving out of the core, all the numbers potentially change.
"Absolutely," he says. "Absolutely."
Andlauer says he's open to considering a downtown location. In the four years he's been exploring the idea of a new rink and pushing for one, he says he's never been opposed to that. More than once he's told the city to make a proposal to him and he'd be willing to participate.
But he's not sure Cadillac Fairview would be interested in doing something that doesn't involve its property at Lime Ridge that's already the largest taxpayer in the city. If the arena had to be downtown, it, and its financial contribution, might be out.
Meaning it could well cost the city — and the taxpayers — millions more to build in the core. Leaving council with a difficult decision: Bank on the promised economic spinoffs in a growing downtown or take the bigger donation up front and bolster the mountain.
For that reason and others, you can expect some pushback from mountain and suburban councillors on the downtown-only position. Especially if Andlauer's proposal sounds otherwise enticing when it's reviewed on Wednesday.
"I think it's unfair that we only look at one area," says Councillor Esther Pauls, whose ward includes Lime Ridge Mall. "We have to look at all areas."
But Coun. Sam Merulla says all discussion about a location outside the downtown is moot.
"Lime Ridge Mall is not an option for a taxpayer-paid arena," Merulla says. "The precinct will be the existing footprint. If Mr. Andlauer wants to build an arena elsewhere, God bless him and he will have to pay for it. The Mountain option was formally taken off the table months ago."
sradley@thespec.com
905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec
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