my thoughts on a new stadium

There has been a lot of talk about whether or not we should get a new stadium and there are two sides to the issue that i want to address. This is basically my own opinion on it.

Ivor Wynne Stadium has an amazing history. How it all began and everything else. Its an amazing place to watch football and it seems no matter where you sit in the stands you have a great seat. I like the middle myself but thats just me. :slight_smile: Its clear Hamilton loves football. We for the most part stand behind our team when the going gets tough..and the last few years the going got tough. Bob Young brought a lot of enthusiasm to this club and there is still a lot of hope that we are going to rebuild. I believe its going to happen and I think its just the beginning of great things to come.

I feel that if were going to move into a positive direction we need to look at building a new football stadium and a new era for the hamilton tiger cats. I do think though that we need to keep Ivor Wynne and make it a facility useful for high school students and post secondary. Those same students could be one day a future tiger cat player and I think building on home grown talent is a good thing.

I know it would be expensive to build a new stadium but i think it will rejuvenate Hamilton.

Not only that but we could make teh new stadium a multi use stadium that can hold concerts and things like that.

Hamilton needs that pick me up and you can see the changes bit by bit. They have already approved the rejuvenation of the Centre Mall and making it a outdoor facility rather then a indoor mall. They are going to fix it all up and everything else. Its going to really clean things up I think.

Not only that but Ottawa Street is getting cleaned up and its attracting new busineesses to come to Hamilton.

These small things are whats attracting people here and I think a new stadium will attract even more people. I think it would also give us a an opportunity to host the grey cup again. We all know that financial wise, Hamilton didnt make a lot of money for the CFL in the 1996 Grey Cup. I think part of the reason is because we just cant hold as many people in teh stands like a B.C Place can or a Rogers Centre can. The More people in game..the more money they make..it only makes sense.

Not only does the CFL make money, Hamilton makes money and creates jobs for people in the city who would work at teh stadium and everything else.

Its a win win situation. AND!!! if Hamilton ever wins a chance to host the Olympics one year, just imagine the money it could bring in.

Allan

Great post, Allen. I'm solidly with you.
We'll never get another grey cup game in this city without a new stadium.

More importantly, IWS is in the early stages of decay and I'm not all that certain that it would be a viable idea to allow it to stand for high school football or any other event.

In regards to getting a Grey Cup game back in Hamilton...yes a new stadium would make a major difference, but one thing to keep in mind is where is everybody going to sleep?

Hamilton is not even close to having enough hotel rooms to support the number of people that would come to a great Grey Cup festival and that could be the biggest factor behind Tim Horton's having to buy so many tickets up for the 96 game and resell them for $25 a piece the day before the game.

I heard someone in Toronto last weekend make a comment that for everybody going to the game there was about 10 more that came to Toronto without tickets or without intentions of going to the game, they just came for the party.

I don't know how true that statement is, but if we look at that here in Hamilton...those same numbers would nearly double the population of amalgamated Hamilton (including Dundas, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Flambrough, etc.)

I guess we could always do what the CANUSA games does...billet everyone out...have fun finding someone to host Argos fans...I hear they S U C K!

Later.

Well, as far as the accomodations go, we have the Sheraton and Ramada right downtown. There’s also the Visitors Inn out in the west end, a Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn in the east end, and the new Marriot, Airport Inn, and Super 8 on the mountain. Don’t forget, there are places in Burlington they could stay too (many visitors to T.O. stayed in Mississauga or Oakville). We could always stick the Argo fans in the City Motor Hotel (at Queenston Traffic Circle) or the Budget Inn (King and Sanford) :wink:

Let's face facts, this isn't the '90's any longer and the expectations of Grey Cup and the festivities are more now.
Hamilton will not be host to a Grey Cup for a very, very long time, we have to just face these facts. The facilities and stadium aren't up to a standard for this and won't be it seems for a very long time.

I understand that more hotels a on the books for the down town renovation project which has already begun.

If the monies to build a new stadium ever do materialize through government or private investors, it would be nice to see these hotels going up before or during construction of said stadium.

By the way, there is a brand new "Courtyard-Marriot" now stands on upper James St., not too far from Stonechurch Road. (Not previously mentioned).

Right. Its on the way to Mt. Hope (highway 6/UJ.)