Time to put the pressure on - city hall

Ok, here is my latest thought and this is directed at city hall although it will affect, albeit to a small extent, the business of the TiCats:

If there is no public announcement by the TigerCats to bring a Grey Cup here before next season's season tickets are due for renewal, I'm not renewing my season tickets. And this is directed at city hall as I know Bob Young wants to bring a GC here but needs, as far as I know, committement by the city to make needed improvements to Ivor Wynne.
So it's your choice Hamilton city hall, the ball is in your court.

I will be Renewing my season ticket
Here is why :
The City Will make Change Only if they See the Team is Healthy at The Gate…

I see a Grey Cup When we have new Stadium.
That will only happen if Win the Right to Major Event…Commonwealth games ext

It's been healthy at the gate for 3 years and the traditions club is ending so I see this time as perfect to put some pressure on the city.

And while I think of it, our NHL franchise was not only not healthy, it didn't even exist but oh yes, let's build an arena and try and get a team here and if no team, oh well, we have an arena anyways. Ivor Wynne, oh, there is a pro football team in town, didn't know that.

What a joke. There have been more fans show up for games over the years at Ivor Wynne than for any NHL games at Copps, from what I can tell. But I'm sure city hall would tell you otherwise.

The condition the stadium is in right now...I cant see a grey cup here in the near future. You cant have people pay money for an event like this then have them sit on a bench.

You have got to be kidding.
At this time Hamilton does not have the infrastructure in place to host such a large event, unless you would be satisfied with an anonoucement that Hamilton can host the Grey Cup in 2011.
Even with the new Staybridge Suites, there are not enough hotels rooms in Hamilton to accomodate that many out of town guests. Not to mention the fact that what are they going to do downtown? Go to the Delta Bingo?

Can't see the gang at City Hall even thinking about spending money on the stadium, other than needed maintenance. Too many other problems ahead of a project like that. Roads, sewers, policing, emergency services, a downtown dying on the vine, Red Hill, Waterfront improvement etc.

Unless, like others have said, we get a large event that requires a bigger stadium, that all levels of government can be involved, ain't going to happen.

That pretty much leaves a consordium of private investors to take it on. The only way that has a hope in hell of happening is if the team does well and draws fans. So staying waway isn't going to help.

But they somehow found the money for a non-existant NHL team arena so I don't buy the fact that there isn't money there, they found it for Copps. Don't buy that argument one bit.

Until we build a NEW STADIUM with INDIVIDUAL SEATS, I don't see us hosting a Grey Cup.

Let's focus on a New Stadium, with the heart of IWS.

Thanks for your post though.

Love,
City Hall

Earl, believe me, whether or not you buy that arguement isn't going to make any difference at City Hall. Copps was built when money was available and downtown was doing well. An arena was easy to "sell" to the populace as a good thing in a good location. Even then it was a hard battle to win.

Try to sell that to the people now for a stadium project! There is not one person on City Council who would champion that cause. That would be polictical suicide and there isn't one of them would take it on. Above all else, the live to be re-elected!

Earl-- I’m not sure I’m making the connection. I agree that it would be great if the city helped out with stadium renovations, but there are far more pressing issues, I think. Copps was built 20 years ago. Despite not having an NHL team, I still think that place has, at the least, slowed the decay of downtown. It is a concert stop and gives people a reason to go downtown. And, a city of this size not having a facilty of at least 10,000 seats would be a bit of a void, in my opinion.

I’d prefer to be patient with regards to Grey Cup anyway. If we’re going to host it, I’d like to do it up right. That doesn’t necessarily mean a new stadium either. But, some strong financial footing and some real planning would be great.

Let’s face it…the home team never manages to get in anyway–no matter how much of a powerhouse they are.

City_Hall wrote:

Until we build a NEW STADIUM with INDIVIDUAL SEATS, I don't see us hosting a Grey Cup.

Let’s focus on a New Stadium, with the heart of IWS.

Thanks for your post though.

Love,
City Hall


Fair enough, good post. Good info from others. I really hope that the people in the know and people with the money in this city can get down and serious and start working on a business case for a new stadium and bringing the Grey Cup here many times. I don’t know if a business case exists, maybe or maybe not, but at least try and work on one and see what information results from doing the process.

Taylor Field got it with planks.

Earl, believe me, whether or not you buy that arguement isn't going to make any difference at City Hall. Copps was built when money was available and downtown was doing well. An arena was easy to "sell" to the populace as a good thing in a good location. Even then it was a hard battle to win.

Try to sell that to the people now for a stadium project! There is not one person on City Council who would champion that cause. That would be polictical suicide and there isn’t one of them would take it on. Above all else, the live to be re-elected!


I completely disagree…with over 17000 season ticket holders, large groups, private influence, I would think it would be a political suicide not to consider upgrading some aspects of IWS for the GC. I beleve Vancouver did very well hosting the GC last year, something like 50-60 million in economic impact for the city.

And regarding available hotels…I believe the Hilton is going to start build on the corner of Bay and Main in the next year or two.

Sack_Attack wrote:

Taylor Field got it with planks.
But Taylor Field isn't a 60 minute or so car ride to a 70,000 seat NFL stadium most of which have individual seats. That's big-time competition for football fans dollars in this area and somewhere down the road and soon, Hamilton will have to do something to keep the fans coming back to our planks, excellent team and owner or not.

A new stadium can only be built these days with help from the corporate sector.
I think they should build some type of entertainment center that would include an attached Casino. The Casino would have to be approved and built by the province but the profits could go to operating the stadium.
Also the facility would have to be used in the winter - why not an inflatable dome like the one over Frank Clair in the winter, seems they are making money renting it out to soccer teams.
A stadium/entertainment/casino with the Canadian Football Hall of Fame attached - downtown would rejuvenate the city!!!

Why are we taxpayers paying for another stadium in Toronto. Seems like it wasn't that long ago that we in Ontario paid close to half a billion dollars to build the Sky Dome and then the government sold it to Rogers for $60 million!!

Didn't they sell it for something more in the range of $25 mill? Good deal for Rogers.
Stadiums now really must be more sport specific providing excellent site lines and where the seats are close to the field. The old bowl type structures like Rogers Centre will no longer be built, thank goodness.

Just to be a pain. The 60 minute or so car ride to a 70,000 seat NFL stadium with individual seats wouldn’t be hosting a Grey Cup? would it.

But I do understand what your saying and since I don’t live in the market I will not be able to understand the whole magnitude of what your saying.

DO NOT REPLACE IVOR WYNNE!

It’s a gem, and I’ve been to every CFL stadium minus BC and Regina. Would they ever THINK about replacing Fenway or Wrigley? Don’t do it! Ivor Wynne is perfectly adequate. The sightlines are amazing, there is not one bad seat in the house and I think the capacity of 29,000 is perfect. Yeah yeah, the concessions su*k but really, who cares? Eat before the game. The concessions are perfectly adequate. I’m happy with my beer, pizza and hot dogs. You want sushi, go to a restaurant, not a sporting event! Not enough corporate boxes. Well, the less corporate the better I say, and with the boxes we currently have plus the tents, I think the corporate market is being well taken care of if you ask me. As for “real? seats. Trust me, benches are much MUCH better then seats…think how uncomfortable it is at Skydome… Moral of the story, why waste millions upon millions of the taxpayers money when this city is drowning in debt. Sure a GC would be nice, but why not have the parties/activities here (the BEST part about Grey Cup week – and what’s going to drive the economic spin-off) and play the game at Skydome. We have a 50,000 + seat stadium 45 minutes up the road, why not take advantage of it…you can have Go trains run from downtown to take visiting fans right to Skydome…it’s perfect!

What he said.