Hamilton - Pan Ams Games 2015

[astroblaster]

i really like the barton/tiffany location. i'm going to head down there and try to visualize it one day soon.

[the dude]

i'm starting to warm to the west harbour idea - there's no doubt it's the best option we've been presented with and the only way those brownfields will ever be developed.

here's an image of the area:

the red area [tiffany-hess-stuart-barton] represents the approximate footprint of ivor wynne stadium. the blue area is an equally blighted area that would be a great candidate for redevelopment - a little residential wouldn't be entirely at odds with the stadium. NO parking lots, please. ivor wynne has done just fine without surface parking.

[raisethehammer]

I agree.
and the best part is, I live like a 5 minute walk from there! yahoo.

[astroblaster]

are you guys sure we don't need parking there?

i hate seeing parking lots everywhere too, but realistically, i think there would need to be some on site parking.. especially for use during a major event like pan-ams.

there is also the bayfront park lot nearby, so there wouldn't need to be that much space eaten up by a lot /garage.

[SteelTown]

Nowadays you can build a parking lot underneath the stadium, just like the Ron Joyce stadium. It's more expensive though.

[the dude]

ya, keep the parking underground. also, that area's easily walkable from downtown. run a few buses from downtown on gameday and bob's yer uncle. that said, part of me is having nightmares just thinking about the chaos that will ensue after a game but it's so infrequent that i suppose i'll manage.

[astroblaster]

plus, where are you supposed to have a tailgate party?

actually, i can imagine some pretty good game/festival combos with bayfront park right there.

[astroblaster]

re: the above map image

isn't the blue area still actively being used as a rail yard ?

[the dude]

part of the blue area is still in use by what i think is a steel fabrication company. i'm sure the city could tell them to take a hike. it's time to get industry out of the west harbour and give it back to the people to enjoy.

[raisethehammer]

whatever we do, I hope we can give the stadium a "Hamilton feel".
Steel art sculptures, a Hutch's, a Hortons, a Speakeasy Cafe etc....find some other local businesses that might want to locate there too.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by astroblaster

are you guys sure we don't need parking there?

i hate seeing parking lots everywhere too, but realistically, i think there would need to be some on site parking.. especially for use during a major event like pan-ams.

there is also the bayfront park lot nearby, so there wouldn't need to be that much space eaten up by a lot /garage.

Down here, yes, parking is a necessity. I'm usually totally against parking lot developments even IF they're garages, but this neighbourhood couldn't sustain the amount of vehs that come to games like the East End can.

No one could park of the residential lawns like in the EE as this area is generally hilly and lots of houses have angled or elevated lawns. Limited street parking, and no access to Bayfront Park lot unless you walk up Bay or they build a ped crosswalk over the CN Yard closer to the stadium sight.

They COULD build a garage in that blue area w/ a resto, bar, etc. on main level with patios etc. for game-day tailgate action. Of course residential on top of this garage would be a great idea too.

-New condo tower to bring more people to this 'hood
-Parking for new residents + 10 Football games/year
-A resto/bar for new all residents + football fans during games

So a parking garage wouldn't be all that bad for this area... it may work in it's favour.

[flar]

You can bet there will be parking. Ivor Wynne manages to get by, but it is not ideal and the city would not allow such a problem to persist in a new stadium. So I imagine parking will be built into the stadium somehow, underground or in a garage, since bayfront land is scarce and shouldn't be wasted on surface parking.

[raisethehammer]

you guys are bang on....the past 2 posts.

[SteelTown]

I believe the long-term goal for the West Harbour area is to build a parking garage near the Pier 4 parking lot, across from Chamber of Commerce.

[SteelTown]

Just to give you an insider......the federal cabinet gave the thumbs up so expect an announcement any day now, first week of August perhaps.

The Premier will be off to Beijing to start lobbying.

[SteelTown]

TADA!!

Games in play: Feds back Ontario bid for Pan Ams

August 07, 2008

It’s Games on with the federal government confirming today that it will fully support an Ontario bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

“Awesome, awesome, awesome,” said Hamilton’s Pan Am point person, David Adames. “That’s just tremendous news.”

Hamilton hopes to win a new stadium for track and field and football under the Golden Horseshoe bid.

The federal government informed Premier Dalton McGuinty’s office late in the afternoon that it will back 35 per cent of the $1.77 billion cost.

[drpgq]

Is this a Golden Horseshoe bid or a Toronto bid? I'm a bit confused.

Ottawa to back Toronto's bid for Pan Am Games

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The federal government has agreed to support the City of Toronto's bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Ontario government officials received word late Thursday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has agreed to throw Ottawa's support behind Toronto's bid, which will also involve municipalities in Niagara and Durham regions and as far north as Lake Simcoe.

The federal approval has cleared the way for Premier Dalton McGuinty to travel to Beijing next week to lobby the Pan American Sports Organization voting members, who are in China for the Olympics.

"I'm pleased that in our discussions with Ontario that we've been able to get to this place where the federal government can join in the support," said federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "It's good news for the (Greater Toronto Area) for sports facilities and it's good news for Ontario. It's good news for Canada."

McGuinty had warned for weeks that Toronto's bid would suffer if he didn't get federal support, and said he would have had to cancel his trip to China.

He said all the other cities hoping to host the 2015 Pan Am Games would be in China – with the support of their federal governments.

Flaherty defended the amount of time it took his government to reach the decision to support the Games bid.

"We have a duty, and I sure do as minister of finance, to make sure that we're not getting into something that's going to be not a value-for-money situation for Canadian taxpayers," he said. "So we had to do at least our preliminary work on this, which we've done. So we're pleased to support the Games."

Ontario wants about $600 million from Ottawa for the Pan Am Games, which are estimated to cost $1.77 billion to stage, but expected to bring $2 billion in economic activity and create 17,000 jobs in everything from construction to hosting.

Flaherty declined to say how much the federal government will contribute, noting that still needs to be negotiated.

"One has to look at a couple of major issues here," he said. ``One is the cost of security – who bears what part of the cost for security. ... There's also the question of infrastructure investments because a lot of the investments that relate to the Pan Am Games relate to permanent infrastructure, which can be dealt with in different ways with the federal infrastructure funding that we have available."

An estimated 10,000 athletes and coaching staff would attend the 2015 Games.

The province said one benefit of Toronto getting the Pan Am Games would be the construction of some much-needed sports facilities in the Golden Horseshoe region, noting Ontario has not hosted a significant international athletic event since the 1930s.

Other cities believed to bidding against Toronto are Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Lima, Peru.

The Pan American Games are open to all countries in the Americas and are held every four years.

The last was in Rio de Janeiro in 2007, and the next will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.

The site of the 2015 Games will be announced next year.

[SteelTown]

Golden Horseshoe bid -> Hamilton, Toronto, Niagara, Durham, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington.

[SteelTown]

Feds back local Pan Am Games bid
Support comes as campaign heads to Beijing

August 08, 2008
John Kernaghan
The Hamilton Spectator

The other sneaker finally dropped in the push for a $1.77 billion sports showcase that could deliver Hamilton a new stadium.

The federal support for a Pan American Games bid, announced yesterday, will lead to an extensive makeover of southern Ontario's eroding sports and recreation infrastructure if the bid is successful.

And that means a big boost for the economy, with construction jobs and continuing employment to operate new facilities.

The long-awaited backing by the Stephen Harper government came just as Premier Dalton McGuinty was preparing to head to the Beijing Olympics to promote southern Ontario's bid for the 2015 Games.

Local officials were elated.

"It will be a spectacular bid for the Golden Horseshoe, and it is just wonderful that the federal government is prepared to partner on that," Mayor Fred Eisenberger said. "Without them, it would not have gone anywhere."

Supporters had feared federal interest in the bid was going sideways.

"Awesome, awesome, awesome," said David Adames, Hamilton's pointman in early Pan Am fact-finding and executive director of Tourism Hamilton. "It's great timing coming just before the Olympics because the premier can now take a complete endorsement to Beijing."

Appointments were already lined up for McGuinty to meet with delegates of countries in PASO, the Pan Am movement's governing body.

Showing up with just the backing of the province and municipalities could have been an embarrassment.

The Pan-Am Games would offer up to 40 sports featuring 10,000 athletes from the Americas.

An early supporter of the bid push, businessman Ron Foxcroft, said the decision "renewed my faith in the federal government caring about team sport and in Hamilton."

He credited auto-parts magnate David Braley with heading the bid initiative and pressing the federal government to come onside.

"David Braley loves Hamilton and loves sport and he's central to what is happening here."

Braley, who was unavailable yesterday, was approached last year by Dr. Gene Sutton, president of Sport Hamilton, to campaign for Games that could be shared by several municipalities.

She uttered a long sign of relief at the news. "Just in time," she said.

Pitched as a shared risk and reward plan, groups in Hamilton and Toronto were brought together by Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) CEO Chris Rudge this winter.

The province reacted with speed, pushing negotiations with cities from Niagara Falls to Oshawa and sending an economic feasibility study to Ottawa in mid-June.

McGuinty kept pushing for a quick answer as the COC must make a preliminary bid presentation in mid-October.

McGuinty spokesman Ben Chin said the premier will push the corporate support possible for a southern Ontario Games in his Beijing meetings.

"Ontario hasn't had Games like this since Hamilton in 1930 and the premier is determined to win and put on a great show."

The Tiger-Cats would be a major winner if the bid was successful and Hamilton, as expected, received a new 30,000-seat stadium to host track and field and soccer.

"First, it's exciting news for Hamilton and the whole region," said Ticat president Scott Mitchell. "We all know the area is overdue for infrastructure to benefit youth, recreation and sports."

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty agreed.

"It's very positive, a boost for the entire region."

He stressed Ottawa's financial commitment is still being finalized as policing and security costs need to be thrashed out. Ontario has agreed to fund 35 per cent of the $1.77-billion budget and will be responsible for any shortfalls.

McGuinty had asked Ottawa to pick up another 35 per cent.

The remaining funds are expected to be covered by sponsorship, TV revenue, ticket sales and merchandise sales.

What's in it for Steeltown?

Perhaps a new stadium to replace decaying Ivor Wynne.

* Improvements to Copps Coliseum.

* An enhanced national and global image.

* New focus on urban regeneration.

* Tourism potential of sports events.

* Promoting healthy lifestyles and recreational sport.

* Community engagement and pride.

When will we know: The 2015 Pan Am sites will be decided next year. Peru, Colombia and Venezuela are bidding.

[flar]

Don't be fooled, it's a Toronto bid. I'm still sceptical that Hamilton will get anything out of this.