Another angle re getting a new stadium?

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
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http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story/?ID=223703&hubname=

Apparently Canadian soccer officials have expressed interest in a possible 2018 World Cup bid for Canada, possibly combining with the U.S. in a joint bid.

Given Hamilton’s lack of success re getting the Commonwealth Games in recent years and the issue of lack of Canadian stadia suitable for a soccer tournament of this magnitude, it may be a way for the various forms of government to commit to a sports infrastructure strategy for CFL cities with aging facilities (Hamilton, Winnipeg, Regina) and possible new cities for the league (Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, etc.) as part of the logistical plan for the tournament itself.

Hamilton has hosted international soccer exhibitions in the past. A Hamilton-Toronto-London nexus could be host to one of the group stages of the World Cup, as one example of how a World Cup scenario could materialize.

Food for thought.

Oski Wee Wee,

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Reading in today's Spec that the TiCats aren't interested in hosting a Cup in IWS due to a few factors such as cramped concession areas and limited capacity. So something on a refurbished IWS or new stadium would have to happen. The CFL has asked the Cats about hosting the 2010 GC. Nice of the CFL to ask though.

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Unfortunately 2010 does not leave enough time for anything significant to be done to the stadium, not with our City Council. Council will still be studying and debating "the one bag of garbage topic" until then and couldn't possibly find time for IWS.

Now 2015 has a nice ring to it.

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2015, not too far away. lol

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Earl, EIGHT YEARS. Wonder if we will be able to afford tickets to it on our pension money?

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True Mat. What I get paid, I think I'll have to keep working until I drop even if it's delivering pizzas at age 80 or something like that.

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Time our city does anything about a stadium we will all be watching the next Grey Cup played here from "Woodlands"

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I have some swampland in Florida you may be interested in...

An Argo-Cat fan

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I think the Marlins beat us to that! :slight_smile:)

Oski Wee Wee,

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Interesting take in the last few weeks on the "infrastructure needs" by the various arms of the Federal bureaucracy.

(based on The Spec (Sports), Thur, Nov 8th)

The CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) noted Olympic interest from the "Golden Horseshoe" area but more importantly observed this as "an area of Canada that has fallen behind much of the country in supplying facilities for both elite and recreational athletes".

As evidence, he pointed out that while large-scale sporting events have been held elsewhere in Canada (B.C. and Alberta hosting the Olympics and Commonwealth Games; Quebec the Olympics, and Manitoba the Pan-Am games), Central Canada has not held such a major event since the 1930 British Empire (Commonwealth) Games (ironically) here in Hamilton.

In other words, we're considered by the CEO of the COC to be in a "have not" area of the country.

In contrast and of significant irony here is that Halifax was awarded the last Commonwealth Games bid over Hamilton in large part based on a Government study promoting (mandating?) awarding of such events to "have not' areas of the country (coincidentally and in an obvious conflict of interest, the Chair of the Commonwealth Games Canada selection committee AND the head of the Halifax Games bid team were both involved in formulating that same Government study and "mandate").

Halifax (not) surprisingly dropped out of the global running at the last possible minute due to "imaginary" financial numbers (another element of it's questionable "winning" bid) thus denying Hamilton a rightful chance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games (just awarded to Glasgow) but to rub salt in the rejection wounds, we now have a different Government body claiming Hamilton does indeed fall within a "have not" area of Canada.

Same Government, opposing conclusions and observations from two sports bureaucracies that have resulted in decisions drastically affecting Hamilton's sports and recreational situation now and into the future. (new stadium anyone???)

If only the Government's left hand knew what it's right hand was doing. But should anyone really be surprised by such bureaucratic interference and bungling? Sadly and also not surprisingly, no one will ever be held accountable and Hamilton has lost a rare chance to gain that much needed new stadium.

Bring on the Olympics!... (as long as we get a new stadium out of it (Toronto has enough already), plus denying TO a chance and excuse to build an NFL-suitable venue)

...

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Good read longtime. I think Toronto will be fine for a few years in the RC for those games the Bills want to play in there. Eventually though, if Toronto is "awarded", and I use this term very loosely, an NFL franchise, I would see a new stadium being built, probably some combo of private-public partnering.

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Agreed. City council however wasted no time in hiking bus fares.

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When I talked to Mark Cohon on Friday, he hinted that in 2 or 3 years, parts of the stadium may not be usable so he has approached the appropriate parties to start discussions...Along the same lines he said that a team in Ottawa wasn't feasible until the stadium was repaired meaning Ottawa would not get a team until 2010.

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(Winched) When I talked to Mark Cohon on Friday, he hinted that in 2 or 3 years, parts of the stadium may not be usable so he has approached the appropriate parties to start discussions...Along the same lines he said that a team in Ottawa wasn't feasible until the stadium was repaired meaning Ottawa would not get a team until 2010.
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Well, I guess Mark Cohan isn't just another pretty face. I'd venture to say he's been in contact with city inspectors who are, by now, quite aware of the physical state of IWS.

I'm glad Russ started this thread and I have found all of the entries herein very thought provoking, particularly that of "Longtimecatfan."

Like all of you, I continue to hope that the road towards a new stadium in Hamilton continues, but not too for long. The year 2018 seems so far away at this point and would result in millions of dollars being spent on the upkeep of IWS in order to avoid a POSSIBLE catastrophe, but it may be all we have, if indeed, we even have that.

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Bob Young is reportedly worth just under a billion dollars(lwn.net).
Why should the city build him a brand new stadium for the Tabbies?
It's government...they will spend...but they will be cheap. They will take the lowest cost, which would be updating IWS, and be happy with that until the next election...where it will be a continual pouring of money into an old stadium.
It beats being the politicians that funded, or helped fund, a big dollar stadium for an ultra-wealthy sports owner.
I'd prefer a costly overhaul of IWS bringing it up to snuff for many many years to come...
unfortunately all I see is band-aids galore for many many years.

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I would be best obviously if a new stadium or refurbished IWS was done with strictly private funding. However, if there is no chance on at least breaking even for financial investors on this, then why would anyone in their right mind spend their money this way? If you want to give a gift to the city, there are better uses than a stadium. So a private-public partnership of sorts would be the way to go.

It’s too bad IWS stadium isn’t in the downtown area like the RC in Toronto, it was great having the convention centre and the festivities there right almost next to the RC where the game was being held. But not practical in all cities depending on how the city is already constructed downtown.

Anyways, hoping Hamilton gets a GC at some point in the not too distant future if it’s possible.

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I think that it would be appropriate for Hamilton to host the 100th Grey Cup since we have the CFL Hall of Fame in town. It would be something to look forward to as all of the teams would most likely try to do a bit more for the CFL's centenary game.

With the stadium, perhaps Bob could get what he can from various governmental levels and then top it up to make the stadium a place he is proud of since I agree that it would be done on the cheap if it were left to the government soley.

As long as they could be quick about it they could even bulldoze one side at a time at the existing site as soon as the Cats were knocked out and have a new 2 tiered side built for the following season so we could retain the same sightlines. So in two years we would have a completely new stadium and have spread the work out for local workers.

ALNCRAC

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(J-93) I'd prefer a costly overhaul of IWS bringing it up to snuff for many many years to come... unfortunately all I see is band-aids galore for many many years.
The costly overhaul of IWS of which you speak would also be a bandaid fix.
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And think of all the out of date and under maintained tele-comm sytems that will have to be replaced.

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While the stadium sure isn't a beauty, a "disaster" is quite unlikey. It's a simple building consisting of concrete slabs laying on a steel structure. Considering its age, the materials are still holding up well. The question no one knows for sure is, how long though before repairs just become too much? 2, 5, 10, 20 years?

Besides structurally, the stadium has far too many other issues. Sound, wiring, concessions, benches, boxes, loose tin sheets, etc, etc. It's very outdated, which only compounds the complaints. At least the field and videoboard look nice. Untill a clear future is known, the city is doing their responsible part, maintaining and fixing the stadium as needed. The entire South side stairwells are scheduled for rebuild this winter. Demolition has already started.

I'm quite confident that the city has money. Please don't believe they are broke. They just choose to use it where they decide. A influenctial politician could easily get the city to help with a new stadium. Considering Bob is worth a billion dollars, a 150 million stadium built with private, government and a little :wink: public $ is not out of the question. They just need more of an excuse than 10 Ti-Cat games a year.

For the record, a new stadium would have better overall sightlines than Ivor Wynne! IWS isn't even that steep. It only offers 5 or so rows that are amazingly and dangerously too close to the field. Imagine removing them and then steeply inclining, higher than the current look, and that's your new 30K stadium. Much better than the "hallowed" IWS sightlines.