City Staff Report to Council re:Games/Stadium.. 44 pages

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

Yes, this is the "Final Business Case" covering all the Pan Am Games issues from city staff to Council.....Dated Feb. 3/09

[url=http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/043C0F26-B39C-417E-B10B-BB2DD290FF0D/0/Feb23CM09006BusinessCaseStadiumFeb1709FINAL.pdf]http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/043 ... 9FINAL.pdf[/url]

Many may have not actually seen this so here it is again. It's 44 pages long so take your time. (I apologize if this has been posted before)

Below is what caught my attention because of recent events. See anybody missing off that list as to apparanty never have been consulted ? :frowning: .....it sure seems to back up the Ticat's claims as having been ignored all along doesn't it?

RELEVANT CONSULTATION:

Internal:

Planning and Economic Development
Corporate Services, Budgets and Finance Division
Community Services, Recreation Division
Public Works

External:

Province of Ontario, Ministry of Health Promotion, BIDCO
Hamilton Pan Am Games Community Bid Committee
The Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty

2

deerhunter:

            The fact that the Tiger-Cats were not on the list of those to be consulted is a glaring error for sure. But did the Tiger-Cats get a copy of this report when it first came out in Feb 2009?  Or other previous reports?  I would have to think they did.

What they would have seen a year ago is that the Tiger-Cats were given a part in any new stadium that is built. The implications for the team are huge.....ie IWS will be gone so the sale of the land will help the city and the huge importance of the entire games to the City and it's future at the West Harbour site. The report also mentions the City will get the money from any advertising and naming rights. Page 23.
At that point I would have thought that the City would have approached the Caretaker and said.." OK here's what we want to do...can you do your part?" Instead of waiting for a year and giving the team an ultimatum.
We can argue all we want over who is responsible at this late stage for the impasse over the economics of the Cats being part of the new stadium but the Caretaker at least realized he no longer had any choice but to get involved directly.
Some other things from the report that I missed the first time around :

  • the municipal share of the expenses for the difference between 15 thousand seats and 30 thousand could be made up of money from partners such as the Cats AND senior levels of government. Not just the Cats ( pages 11,18 and 23). So unless things have changed in the meantime maybe that 50 million figure we have been discussing is NOT that crucial.
  • 200 other events the stadium could host after the games (pages 28-29).
  • the long term benefits of the stadium, over and above the downtown re-development aspect.....especially the velodrome which could also provide a good chunk of revenue after the Games (pages 32-33).
    And...... 250 days a year of community programming (page 32) that could be hosted.
    The City makes a heck of a case for the Games at West Harbour site. I see NO chance of the stadium being built elsewhere. Hostco has already given their support to it. In fact it looks to me, they would be willing ( and perhaps able) to go ahead without the Tiger-Cats if it came down to that, even though they would rather not. They mention that it took many years for the original Empire Stadium to become expanded into IWS ....and they see the new stadium as being a facility can can also grow (and become busier and more profitable?) for many years to come.
    So...good luck to the mediator. I, for one, still cannot imagine a new stadium without the Tiger-Cats.
    Just some thoughts over my first Saturday morning coffee...I am sure others will likely draw different conclusions. :slight_smile:
3

How typically Hamilton: City Council deems it relevant to consult a poverty group but not the stadium's primary tenant.

4

Thanks, deerhunter for linking us up
to this City Staff Report To Council,

and thanks to you, mr62cats, for bird dogging out
those page references to some significant points,

I will surely look them over.

Regarding more government money being available
for the expansion of the stadium to 30,000 seats.

The City Hall staff may have been correct

when they stated that senior governments
would chip in more money towards that end,

but federal and provincial tax revenues
have tumbling since City staff said that

in February of 2009. Things aren't so rosy now.

5

I'm with you guys.......it's an interesting read and answers a lot of questions as to where Council and the Mayor got a lot of their ideas from.

6

It really doesn't matter how much anyone dissects this, at the end of the day, it could be Bob vs The Province, The City, HOSCO and Public Perception. Bob is toast on this one if he chooses to fight, it will be go along with the new concessions or else get out. The TigerCats and the CFL as much as I hate to say this, don't matter all that much, as they should, when push gets to shove at the end of the day. Just what I think.

7

Not sure I agree, Earl. Certainly understand how one could come to that conclusion, but when you look at the numbers, the league stands pretty well on it’s own. Across the globe, there aren’t that many leagues that pull 30,000 a game. Our views are a bit skewed by the NFL. But the NFL is the exception.

And from a TV perspective, the CFL is clearly the 2nd best property in Canada. Anytime your product can convince 1/2 million people to watch it for 3 hours, you’re doing pretty well. I bet when people are actually forced to sit down and look at these numbers, it becomes evident that there’s value in ensuring the longevity of a CFL franchise. Not to mention the history – which, is really only rvialed by a couple hockey clubs and eclipsed by British soccer franchises (…and, yes, I’m sure there are a few organizations south of the border who would contest this.)

8

I wouldn’t quite say eclipsed:

Hamilton Tigers 1869
Toronto Argonauts 1873

vs.

Manchester United 1878
Arsenal FC 1886
Chelsea FC 1905

9

I bet when people are actually forced to sit down and look at these numbers, it becomes evident that there's value in ensuring the longevity of a CFL franchise

I can only hope you're right there slo, hopefully.

10
Council direct staff to pursue funding opportunities

and report back to Council on ways to mitigate
the financial obligations of the City,

and that funding sources include:

public-private partnerships,

private contributions and investment,

fundraising/lottery initiatives,

donations,

partnership with
other public agencies,

use of future fund monies,

use of portion of future ticket sales

to fund the stadium,

asset sales (ie. current Ivor Wynne Stadium site),

accessing other provincial
or federal funding sources,

and naming right sales


The facilitator will be sure to ask right off
how these efforts have been going

I hope Mayor Fred is ready with answers.

11

(h) That Council authorize the City Manager

[ Chris "No stadium location will be a success in Hamilton" Murray is City Manager],

or his designate, to negotiate, approve and execute, on behalf of the City of Hamilton,

to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor,

a Multi-Party Agreement with

the Federal Government,

Provincial Government,

Canadian Olympic Committee (COC),

Bid Corporation,

other Ontario municipalities

and other funding partners,

that describes how the parties intend to deliver
the Pan American/ParaPan American Games,

if the Bid is successful, [u]and which sets out
and legally binds all of the financial contributors

and partners in regard to the their capital contributions and benefits;
[/u]
and that such agreement allow for adjustments to
the contribution amounts to recognize capital cost inflation.

(i) [u]That Council endorse a public consultation process to begin in March, 2009

to engage Hamiltonians during the bid phase to create a legacy plan
[/u]
for Hamilton from participation in the 2015 Pan Am Games.

(j) That staff provide regular updates to Council during the bid phase,
which is expected to conclude in November, 2009.

12

joedavtav:

   Thanks for the research.

Maybe the Tiger-Cats can be declared a Heritage organization and be required to stay in Hamilton. :slight_smile:
Perhaps that designation will also entitle 'em to some provincial money to stay in business.
Wishful thinking. :wink:

13

The Tiger Cats recently suggested the stadium be built
on the uncontaminated recently cleared grassy fields

along the west side of the Red Hill Parkway
north of the QEW just west of Nash Rd.

There wouldn't be visibility, road access or parking issues

or many of the other highly complex and risky issues
cited in The City's Staff report to City Council.***

I don't know if GO/VIA access would want to stop
near there but bus transportation is already there.

*** West Harbour

Risk and Complexity

– high complexity and risky due to site
assembly complexities, remediation exposure,

possible required road closures

and required assurances to mitigate nuisance impacts
on adjacent residential neighbourhood.

Timing of completion of these activities in time for
construction and games use is important to consider.

l[u]egal and planning complexities
due to Setting Sail appeal.

[the official City plan for that area.]
[/u]
and the RHP land would not likely be too costly.

Cost

– Higher up-front capital costs

due to land acquisition costs, potential
remediation, and demolition costs.

Minimal on-site parking would
reduce that up-front cost

and greater return on investment
from regeneration impacts anticipated.

and the RHP land would not likely
have these feasibility issues.

Overall Feasibility

– Site is viable and feasible

so long as property acquisition issues
can be overcome in a timely enough manner

to accommodate Pan Am Games scheduling.

[b]and as the report says

Otherwise, alternative location may be required.[/b]

14

Talk about a property having visibility benefits!

Tourists coming from the U.S. to visit Toronto.

Out-of-Province Canadians traveling across Ontario.

Look at the property the Tiger Cats recently suggested

Click this Google Maps

and then 'cut and paste' Globe Park Hamilton ON Canada

or type it into the SEARCH MAPS address bar and click on it.

It's part of that big triangle of land

bounded by the QEW on the north

and the Red Hill Parkway on the east.

15

I can see why the TigerCats would like this location. It'll be interesting if the city asks the TigerCats for a report on how much they see that, the TigerCats and sponsors, could contribute to this site depending of course on all the other factors involved.

16

Yeah, bring them all to sit right next to our sewage treatment facility. That way they can be distratcted from the other heavy industry near by.

Can’t wait to bite into my hot dog there! :thdn: Yuck!

17

It Rather it be there then Downtown withs it Gangs and Muggers Crack heads and Panhandlers.

18

You really don’t know the east end do you? Been there hundreds of times. Anyone who says its a smelly cesspool is either exaggerating or never been to the area

19

Ron:
OK…so lets say the Cats get ( right now the city would get) the naming rights. Let’s say its worth 1.5 million a year.
According to the Caretaker that will still leave him 5 and a half million short. How does he get the rest?
Which is the reason Chris Murray says there is no city site where the Caretaker get 7 million a year in order to be profitable.
And you certainly cannot accuse Chris Murray of not doing his homewhere after you read that City report.
Another thing that is in the report is what will be lost to the city if the Rheem site is not chosen. Substantial future revenue is at stake. Add all this up and the case for the West Harbour site is overwhelming.
Unfortunately for the Tiger-Cats, unless they are planning on a shared stadium on cheap land in someplace between Toronto and Hamilton like Dorset Park or Boyne, the Ti-Cat stadium waves could be right next to the real waves out on the East coast by the time the 2015 Pan-Am Games begin.

20

Is he talking about net revenue?

from what?