Tim Hortons Field | 40m | ? | Complete

[realcity]

o ya USL would be awesome... they have a longer season... more games if im correct

[SteelTown]

From what I have from the proposed Commonwealth stadium, basically the same idea, design and location









The seats next to the scoreboard at the endzone are temporary seats. On the other side of the endzone the upper section are also temporary seats.

"15,000 temporary seats will supplement the 27,000 permanent seats for the Commonwealth Games. The 42,000-seat new Commonwealth Stadium."

[geoff's two cents]

Thanks for posting, Steeltown. Assuming this is actually built, I wonder if city planners would ever consider (down the road) developing a retail/restaurant district adjacent to the stadium, with low-rise and high-rise residential density, of course.

It occurred to me that pubs or restaurants with streetwall frontage might back onto the south side of the stadium itself, thus affording some spectacular waterfront and game views. A USL team would, I think, make something like this all the more feasible.

[SteelTown]

^ This reminds me during the Commonwealth bid the Canadian Football Hall of Fame would relocate at the base of the stadium.

I wonder if that's being discussed.

[Gurnett71]

I really like the way the Commonwealth Stadium proposal linked downtown to the waterfront and made allowances for some higher density housing with piazzas/outlooks to the waterfront. Now, if we can only convince CN to move the railyards and unlock some more prime waterfront lands!

[bigguy1231]

The whole idea of putting the stadium in the West Harbour location was to open the area up to the Harbour. Hopefully the city can get CN to relocate the rail yard so we can get real access to the harbour from that location.

[isaidso]

Is it not possible to build parkland/public space over the rail lines to connect the city to the water? You wouldn't be able to plant big trees, but one could certainly hide the rail underneath.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

"15,000 temporary seats will supplement the 27,000 permanent seats for the Commonwealth Games. The 42,000-seat new Commonwealth Stadium."

So this is 27,000 without the end zone seats and 42,000 with them?

[SteelTown]

Cost issues raised over Pan Am site
Harbour challenges

November 12, 2009
Ken Peters
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/671358

A Pan Am stadium for Hamilton appears to be a slam dunk, but the location may be anything but.

Councillor Bob Bratina, whose ward includes the preferred west harbour site, wants the city to consider other locations, including Confederation Park, Hamilton airport and the Sir John A. Macdonald school property.

Bratina said there are several issues with the 12-hectare west harbour site bounded by Barton, Stuart, Bay and Queen streets that could add $20 million to $30 million to the construction price.

Homes will have to be expropriated, the property may have to be decontaminated and the stadium may have to be built on expensive pilings. As well, the project may be subject to a lengthy Ontario Municipal Board appeal.

The city recently bought the former Rheem Canada site, the eastern third of the proposed stadium site. The city wanted it, even without the Games, because it could create a link between the waterfront and the core.

Hamilton councillors are expected to receive a consultant's report in February that sets out the business plans for the various sites. Once that report is considered, council is to make a final decision.

"We need to have every option open, and that includes Confederation Park," Bratina said. "It includes every option. There are too many complexities on that (west harbour) site to make it a slam dunk."

Bratina said he "personally" doesn't believe the preferred site is the ideal location. He said the transit connections aren't great.

Hamilton council voted 12-3 in February 2009 to take $60 million from the Future Fund to help pay for a 15,000-seat stadium. Council set the west harbour site as the preferred location.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger said council's position remains in place.

"Nothing has changed," said Eisenberger this week.

But Bratina wants the location issue to be reopened. He believes the Macdonald school site would be preferable to the west harbour.

Councillor Chad Collins, who was instrumental in pushing to have the Confederation Park site removed from consideration, said the city position remains clear. The city would use $60 million on a stadium but the "carrot" for the municipality is that the senior levels of government would contribute substantial amounts that would permit the city to replace an aging Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The province and the federal government are set to contribute $54 million. The city would look to the private sector to contribute another $50 million to upgrade the facility to Canadian Football League standards as the future home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Eisenberger wants the designation of the west harbour to change from the preferred site to the selected site. But while he can't say when council will vote on the issue, the mayor said he wants the shovel in the ground on the Pan Am project sometime in spring 2011 to have the facility open by 2013.

Eisenberger said it makes sense for the city to have some sites as a fallback if the barriers to the west harbour lands prove too onerous.

"But there is no sense these alternate sites are being considered in any way as the site of the stadium unless there is some reason this site doesn't come to pass for whatever reason," he said.

Eisenberger said he was not aware of any rumblings from councillors who may want to revisit the stadium location issue.

[realcity]

Keep debating the location and it will be built in Burlington

[drpgq]

Is Bratina getting flak from his North End constituents? Because I live in his ward too and his other suggestions seem borderline nuts. How do you suggest a location where there's already a high school? Am I missing something here?

Maybe Bratina actually wants it there, but is just making a half assed effort to please his constituents.

[SteelTown]

How else are we going to ever clean up this massive piece of land? This is a perfect opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by drpgq

Maybe Bratina actually wants it there, but is just making a half assed effort to please his constituents.

If that's the case, he's taking a huge risk just for the sake of placating what I'm sure is a minority of his constituents. He's creating unnecessary confusion and divisiveness at a time when council should be working together to achieve something positive for all Hamiltonians, not just North End NIMBY's and the sort people who can't imagine a higher purpose for public infrastructure other than providing acres of parking.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by drpgq

How do you suggest a location where there's already a high school?

Also home to Hamilton Community Energy.

[Bob Bratina]

The Spectator reporter asked me if I would oppose the Barton/Tiffany site and I said no, which wasn't used in the story. The fact is there are 2 "approved" sites, waterfront and the airport. Both sites are to be assessed concurrently so as not to lose time should either be unacceptable for whatever reason. There are four concerns about the waterfront site; the cost of land assembly, the unknown cost of remediation, the bearing capacity of the subsoil, and the relatively poor transit and transportation connections.
Old maps predating the industrial era show the area as swampland. It's likely that the stadium and other structures would have to be built on pilings, so there is a possibility the site preparation costs would be in the tens of millions of dollars even before the start of construction, not to mention road and transit infrastructure costs. All this has to be factored into the final recommendation to Council.

There is no reason for runaway costs for the Pan Am games if we do our planning intelligently. The University of Akron just opened their new 30,000 seat stadium in September, built at a cost of $61 million dollars. I would be doing all residents of the City, not just those in Ward 2, if I did not demand the highest level of scrutiny in developing our Pan Am Games plan.

[markk]

^
Makes sense. thanks for providing clarity.

I just truly hope this stadium does not end up in airport lands. The stadium should become an iconic city landmark, and I think building near the airport would be a massive mistake.

[SteelTown]

Based on the funding formula the province is paying any cost overruns, not the federal or local government.

[bigguy1231]

If you want an example of a nice compact 30,000 seat stadium all you have to do is take a ride down to Buffalo. The University at Buffalo has one on campus. I have attended a couple of football games there. It's a nice setup, that was built for the World University Games back in the 90's.

I'll post a picture when I get the time.

[Fortunate4Now]

University of Buffalo's North Campus Stadium

[highwater]

Originally Posted by Bob Bratina

...and the relatively poor transit and transportation connections.

Your concerns are legitimate up to this point, but seriously, poor transit? Like we couldn't possibly improve it in time for the games? Not to mention that the only real 'connections' to the airport or Confederation Park are by car, which means more land taken up with parking lots that will remain empty and useless most days of the year, and the built-in obsolescence of car dependence.

Originally Posted by Bob Bratina

I would be doing all residents of the City, not just those in Ward 2, if I did not demand the highest level of scrutiny in developing our Pan Am Games plan.

Surely this also includes the long term benefits to the city. We're going to be investing big bucks either way. Doesn't it make sense to invest it in something that has the best chance of improving the quality of life in this city after the games are over? There is no way you can argue that the airport or Confederation Park options will bring anything in the way of spin-off development. The age of the suburban stadium is over. The true cost of servicing and maintaining an auto-dependent stadium far from existing infrastructure, when we no longer have access to cheap energy, must be part of this 'scrutiny'.