Time to move on downtown ‘game-changer’
Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer says any new arena in the city needs to built in combination with housing.
Sitting in his Montreal hotel room, not far from the Bell Centre where the Canadiens play, he says he used to see parking lots when he looked out the window.
That was just eight or nine years ago. Today? Three huge condo towers block his view. Which is a good thing. Thousands of people live there now. A thriving neighbourhood exists where things were once a little bleak.
"They just hurried up and made it happen," Michael Andlauer says. "Why can't Hamilton do the same thing?"
He may sound exasperated but he insists he's really not. In fact, the longtime owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs says he's feeling optimistic about the city's plan — pending a vote at council next Wednesday — to launch a $200,000 study to accelerate some decision on what to do not just with FirstOntario Centre but with all the downtown entertainment venues.
Economic development director Glen Norton says he wants such a study done and in front of city council by June.
"It's really a game-changer for our downtown, or could be," he told The Spectator's Andrew Dreschel a few days ago. "Let's not hold this up any further. Let's get on with what needs to be done."
Andlauer's delighted to hear this. He says he believes in the concept of private business being involved in some rebuild of the facilities. Based on his interest — just over a year ago he offered to match the city's contribution to a new arena dollar for dollar — and that of the Carmen's Group, there's plenty of evidence to suggests it legitimately exists.
But, he says the city has to make a decision about what it wants to do before private investors spend any more time trying to figure out what they can do.
"Once and for all, create a vision for this downtown core," he says.
While he has explored a variety of options of his own for arenas in the city, including locations outside the downtown and on the mountain, he says his preference is to work with the city within its eventual plan.
It just has to have one first.
Andlauer doubles back to what's happened in Montreal. A new arena by itself will do little to change the area. It has to be in combination with housing. There, the new condos have spurred other new development. Stores and restaurants have sprung up.
If Hamilton council could come up with a plan that would allow private interests to construct a new arena and convention centre in exchange for rights to the vertical space above those buildings for residential units and other development — or some other creative solution — the same story would likely play out here, too.
"It's where people want to be," he says.
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