new IWS

To Drummergod:

Might as well save your breath and energy. Many of us have been writing about the necessity og rebuilding IWS, but to some, (and we all know who they are) our suggestions and warnings of a possible disaster in the near future, fall on deaf ears.

These folks that oppose major changes at IWS should get themselves elected to our city council. They'd fit right in.

To Drummergod:

Might as well save your breath and energy. Many of us have been writing about the necessity og rebuilding IWS, but to some, (and we all know who they are) our suggestions and warnings of a possible disaster in the near future, fall on deaf ears.

These folks that oppose major changes at IWS should get themselves elected to our city council. They'd fit right in.

The main problem I have is spending taxpayers money foolishly. IWS is maintainable at a lower cost than building a new one however it can reasonably be argued that there needs to be a significant investment in IWS to maintain its safety issues. As for the picture, that is a US field and not at all relevant to what is needed to mimic IWS sight lines. A CFL field simply won't fit in that stadium

I'm pretty sure a new Yankee Stadium is being erected.

And I'm sure not everyone is happy about it. One thing tho, how much are New Yorkers taxes going up to pay for it?

really?..u think?

i think the technology exists to build it slightly bigger to house a CFL sized field…i think :cowboy:

as if hamilton would build the stadium too small for a CFL field :roll:

why do some people here think that IWS sightlines are some miracle of nature that cannot be repeated?

Just don't say your stadium proves something that its physically impossible to accommodate. The stadium actually looks like the stands are proportionally farther away than IWS at any rate. Its not that the sight lines cannot be relocated its that for safety reason they won't be a allowed to be replicated. Besides its all about the money. If you think the fan base can make up the difference in city subsidy the Ticats receive on their stadium rental now as opposed to what would be required to finance the new stadium I say go for it. Your tickets probably would go up by several hundred dollars per year. (50,000,000/350,000= $15 per ticket surcharge for each and every game ticket sold assuming an average attendance of 35,000 for 10 games per year for 10 years.) Would I pay it as a ticket increase so Bob could build his own stadium? No. Am I willing to pay for it on my tax bill? No, because opting to not participate in a private business wouldn't be an option.

They are an attraction and are still standing in good order because the owners and or the city has made it a point to keep those stadiums in good order. IWS has been neglected by the city and will continue to be neglected until its on the verge or being condemned.

People want a new stadium but don’t want to pay for it, and to be honest why should Bob Young dish out the dough to renovate / upkeep a stadium he is only renting…

Yankee Stadium is on its last leg, they are in talks to build another stadium. Stadiums all need to be rebuilt, Maple Leaf Gardens, the Forum… they all have a life span and like it or now IWS is on its last leg. Pumping money into it for anything other than a major restructure and or rebuild is just a bandaid. Something will eventually have to be done to fix it be it a total rebuild of IWS or a new stadium in a new location.

I agree with we should enjoy the Stadium while we can…100% but its good to spark the debate on what will happen and get ideas floating…because 1 of 2 things will happen

  1. Ownershop will opt to build their own stadium and thus the average ticket price will increase

  2. The city will decide to build a new stadium and thus our taxes will increase

It will happen like it or not, but if #1 did happen I’d be much more into paying the higher ticket prices if the Cats were a strong competitive team.

The problem I see with Drummer's example for a future stadium is that too many of the seats & boxes are located on the left hand side of the endzone. Design the stadium with the majority of the seats between the 20 yardlines on either side; better views and better ticket prices (from the team's standpoint). Keep the oval design with a tapering of the stadium height as the stands start to wrap around the endzones. Some good points about which way to orientate the stadium keeping in mind the sun and prevailing winds.

Seriously though, the only way Hamilton will get a new stadium is if they land a major event like the Commonwealth Games and that's not likely to happen anytime soon.

Well, Drummer, I take back my "why do you care" question. This has turned into a decent discussion for the off-season. Eventually we'll need a new stadium, I just don't think we're at that point. I'll miss IWS when its gone.

The biggest problem with getting a new stadium is where will the money come from?

The city can't pay for it entirely on its own. I don't think Bob would build a new stadium because the costs would erase any thoughts of making a profit on the team. Would the feds or provincial governments help out? Not likely with people screaming for better health care and other social programs.

Earlier someone said there won't be a new stadium until Ivor Wynne is on the verge of being condemned, and I'd have to agree with that.

I understand that the south stands of IWS will need major structural repairs within 5 to 7 years. This will cost millions.

I think now is the time to talk about what we will do, stadium wise.

(Oakham)_ Well, Drummer, I take back my "why do you care" question. This has turned into a decent discussion for the off-season. Eventually we'll need a new stadium, I just don't think we're at that point. I'll miss IWS when its gone.

What do you base your theory on Oakham? Are you an engineer or a person who does physical testing on metals?
I am, and I don’t understand your point unless you can qualify it with some kind of expertise.
I personally think its time the city brought in a firm to actually test the structure of IWS and let the public know what kind of life span it has.

It's understood that engineers know everything, so I'll bow to your ring and await your findings.

I'm not orginally from Hamilton and IWS isn't in my heart like it is for some of you who grew up here. I don't mind the stadium at all personally and where it is located. But to bring Hamilton into a new era and change the image of the city, a new stadium needs to be built in a better part of town where more of the people in this area who have money are willing to go. But I don't know how important trying to change the image of Hamilton is, or having Grey Cups here at a new stadium are where some 3-4 million Canadians are watching. I don't know.

(Oakham) It's understood that engineers know everything, so I'll bow to your ring and await your findings.
We don't know everything, Oakham, but I like your latest idea of bowing to my ring. You can kiss it while you're at it.

Most engineers have better powers of observation than mistaking Oakham for Ockham, but I digress. Learning how to use the quote feature would also help your arguments.

Great point. You go to some of the newer facilities in the US and their sightlines are comparable to IWS, yet they have all the new technologies and amenities crucial for PROSPERING, not SURVIVING, in today’s modern sports world.

The new BMO Stadium in Toronto cost about $72 million and seats 20,000. I go past it quite often and it doesn’t look ike much to me. It certainly isn’t state-of-the art by any means and I think inferior to every current CFL stadium. It’s as basic as you can get. If $72 million buys you a bare-bones 20,000 seat stadium, a CFL stadium would likely go well into the $100,000 range. No level of government would fork over wads of public cash for a privetly owned business. And Bob Young wouldn’t get much return on his money if he thought about building a new stadium or renovating IWS–after all, there are only 9 CFL home games and maybe a few concert dates. Realistically, you’re stuck with IWS for years to come.

Besides, with a new, improved stadium, you get new, improved ticket prices, parking costs, concession prices, etc. Be careful what you ask for.

An Argo-Cat fan

isnt that EXACTLY what the government did when funding MLSE owned BMO field? :roll: